Ui 

h 


o 
z 


THE 


lEECHAIT  YESSEL 


SAILOR  BOY'S  VOYAGES 


TO  SEE   THE    WO\RiD. 


BI  THE  A  ^THOE  OP  "MAN-OF-WAR  LIFE.' 


CINCINNATI: 
MOOEE,   WILSTACH,   KEYS   &   CO. 

new    york:   miller,   orton   &   mulligan. 

boston:  whittemore,  niles  <&  hall. 

phila.:  j.  b.  lippincott  a  co. 

1856. 


/ye 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1855,  t>y 
MOORE,  WILSTACH,  KEYS  &  CO., 

In  the  Clerk's  office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the 
Southern  District  of  Ohio. 


Stereotyped  and  Printed  by 
WILLIAM    OVEREND&OO. 


PREFACE. 


In  the  present  volume,  it  has  been  the  aim  of 
the  writer  to  draw  an  intelligible  picture  of  a 
Merchant  Seaman's  life.  Were  the  Merchant  Ser- 
vice such  as  youth  are  most  apt  to  imagine  it,  it 
would  undoubtedly  have  great  charms  for  one  of 
an  adventurous  turn  of  mind.  Could  the  Mer- 
chant Sailor  always  have  his  choice  of  voyages — 
could  he  obtain  a  situation  when  he  wished,  and 
to  go  whither  it  pleased  him — were  he  not  con- 
tinually at  the  mercy  of  tyrannical  officers,  and 
grasping  shoresmen  —  and  finally,  but  not  by  any 
means  of  least  importance,  were  his  average  in- 
come sufficient  to  meet  even  his  most  moderate 
wants,  such  a  life,  with  all  its  hardships,  would 
form  a  not  unpleasing  experience.  But  the  direct 
reverse  is  the  fact.     His  chief  anxiety  when  he  is 

(iii) 

ivil67340 


IV  PREFACE. 

discharged  from  one  ship,  is  to  engage  himself 
on  board  another.  In  most  cases,  he  is  forced  to 
accept  the  first  chance  that  offers.  He  has  no  con- 
trol at  all  over  his  own  movements,  but  is  the 
merest  creature  of  chance.  He  may  plan  out  for 
himself  an  easy  and  pleasant  round  of  voyages, 
but  it  is  impossible  to  put  his  plans  into  execution. 

The  writer  has  not  hesitated  to  show  the  shadows 
as  well  as  the  lights  of  this  phase  of  sea-life. 
And,  truly,  these  shadows  are  not  few. 

Of  the  "  yarns  '^  recounted  in  this  volume,  it 
may  be  well  to  say,  that  they  are  told  as  nearly 
as  possible  in  the  language  of  the  original  relators, 
and  that  there  is  no  doubt  whatever  in  the  mind  of 
the  writer,  of  their  entire  truth.  He  has  given 
them  place  here,  not  only  because  yarning  is  one  of 
the  chief  amusements  of  sailors  during  their  leisure 
hours,  but  from  the  fact  that  they  present  phases 
of  sea-life  which  happily  did  not  fall  to  his  expe- 
rience. 


CONTENTS. 


Preface,      - 3 

CHAPTER    I. 

Jack  Ashore — Victimized  by  the  Land  Sharks — Off  for  Bos- 
ton— A  Pleasure  Trip — Boston — Sailor's  Home — Ships  and 
Shipping  Offices, -.9 

CHAPTER  II. 

Sail  for  New  Orleans — Going  to  Sea  with  a  Drunken  Crew — A 
Merchantman's  Forecastle — "Man  the  Windlass" — Choosing 
Watches — Some  points  of  Difference  between  the  Merchant 
Service  and  the  Navy,  with  a  short  digression  into  the  Phi- 
losophy of  Sailorcraft. 18 

CHAPTER  III. 

Watch-and-Watch — Reefing  Topsails — Catching  a  Sucker — The 
Berry's  Keys,  and  the  Deputy  U.  S.  Consul  thereof — Turtle 
Eggs — Mobile  Bay — Our  Crew  leave,       -        •        -        -    28 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Taking  in  Cargo — Screwing  Cotton — The  Gangs  and  their 
Chants — Departure  for  Liverpool — Discipline  on  Board,  -  38 

(v) 


VI  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   V. 
Old  Antonys  Yarn,  A  Cruise  in  a  Slaver,    -        -        -        -    47 

CHAPTER  VI. 

A  Gale  off  Cape  Clear — ^Nearly  Ashore — Liverpool — What  a 
Sailor  Sees  of  it,      -        -       - 68 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Departure  from  Liverpool — Passengers — Their  mode  of  Life 
on  Board  Ship — Philadelphia — Ship  for  London — Seamen s' 
Protection, 69 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

Sail  for  London — The  Vessel — A  Winter  Passage  across  the 
Atlantic — Its  Hardships — The  English  Channel,    -  ^  -    78 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Arrival  in  London — The  Docks — Sailors — The  California  Ship 
— Singular  instance  of  Affection  in  a  Serpent — What  Sailors 
see  of  London — Sail  for  Boston, 98 

CHAPTER  X. 

Ship  for  Calcutta — My  new  Ship— Preparations  for  an  India 
Voyage — Sail  from  Boston — Points  of  Difference  between 
Indiamen  and  other  Ships — Discipline — Work — Our  Crew — 
A  Character, 110 

CHAPTER  XI. 

A  Yarn  of  Opium  Smuggling — The  Vessel — The  Captain — Meet 
Mandarin  Boats — The  Fight — The  Cook^s  Scalding  Water — 
The  Breeze  springs  up — The  Repulse,    .        -        -        -    120 


CONTENTS.  Vn 

CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Merchant  Seaman's  Sunday  —  Growling  George  and  I 
become  Chums  —  Catching  Fish  —  Porpoise  Meat — jA  Storm 
off  the  Cape — The  Sand-Heads — The  Hoogley — George  and  I 
determine  to  leave  the  Ship — The  Pilots — Calcutta,        -  131 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Leave  the  Akbar  —  An  English  vessel  —  Sail  for  Madras  — 
Some  of  the  Peculiarities  of  British  Ships  —  Arrive  at 
Madras  —  The  Port  —  Manner  of  taking  in  Cargo  —  How  I 
got  into  the  Sailmaker's  Gang  —  The  Surf-Boats  — A  Storm 
and  its  Consequences, 145 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Sail  for  Sydney — Sydney  Coves,  or  Colonials — their  Peculiari- 
ties —  Jim's    Yarn  —  Life  Among    the    Savages    of    New 
Guinea,    • 162 

CHAPTER   XV. 

Sydney — Sailors'  Amusements — Tired  of  the  Shore — Looking  for 
a  Voyage — Ship — The  Brig  Ocean — Her  Crew — Description 
of  the  Vessel — Nearly  a  quarrel. 181 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

A  Yarn  of  Sandal  Wood  Hunting — Arrival  at  Lombok — The 
Natives — Chinese  Residents — Manner  of  Life  of  the  People — 
Take  in  Cargo— The  Country-Wallah— Her  Crew,   -        -  190 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Leave  Lombok  —  The  Monkey  —  The  Parrot  —  A  long  Calm — 
George  Grumbles  —  Cattle-tending  in  New  South  Wales  — 
Whampoa  —  Discharge  Cargo  —  Paid  off — Visit  Canton,  208 


VIU  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Ship  in  a  Country-  Wallah — Sail  for  Port  Louis — Leave-taking — 
The  Lascar  Crew — Manner  of  Treating  them — Long  Calm — 
Superstitions  of  the  Lascars — Their  desire  to  Revolt — Arrival 
at  Port  Louis, 223 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Difficulty  of  getting  a  Ship — Go  on  board  an  American  Ves- 
sel— Off  for  Rio — A  Yarn  from  a  Company  Sailor — Rio  de 
Janeiro  Harbor — ^For  Boston — Cold  Weather,  -        -        -  242 

CHAPTER   XX. 

Hard  Times  for  Sailors — Anxiety  to  escape  the  Winter — Boston 
to  Bangor — Sail  for  Demarara — A  Down  East  Barque — Her 
Captain  and  Mate — A  Family  Arrangement — Arrival  at  De- 
marara — Discharge  Cargo — Sail  for  Buen  Ayre,     -        -  258 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

The  Dragon's  Mouth — Buen  Ayre— Taking  in  Salt — The  Salt 
Pans — Beauty  of  the  Island,  and  the  Climate — Misery  of  the 
Laborers — Off  for  New  Orleans — Captain  attempts  to  Starve 
the  Crew — Tedious  Passage — ^^Arrival  at  New  Orleans — A 
Sailor's  Law  Suit — Sail  for  New  York — Conclusion,        -  278 


THE 


MEECHANT    VESSEL. 


CHAPTER  L 

Jack  Ashore — Victimized  by  the  Land  Sharks — Off  for  Bos- 
ton— A  Pleasure  Trip — Boston — Sailor's  Home — Ships  and 
Shipping  Offices. 

The  tailors,  boarding  house  keepers,  and  itinerant  ven- 
ders of  jewelry,  in  port,  have  a  busy  time  during  the 
week  in  which  a  man-of-war's  crew  is  discharged  and 
paid  off.  Jack  can  not  see  to  the  end  of  a  hundred 
dollars,  and  therefore  pays  royally  for  everything  he 
wants,  and  very  many  things  he  don't  want,  never  stoop- 
ing so  low  as  to  bargain  with  a  tradesman — and  getting 
cheated  on  all  hands,  of  course,  by  the  land  sharks. 
Pinchbeck  watches,  and  plated  jewelry,  and  ill-fitting 
shore  clothes,  soon  transform  the  neat,  trim  man-of-war' s- 
man,  looking  as  though  he  had  just  stepped  out  of  a 
bandbox,  into  an  awkward,  ungainly  fellow  as  one  would 
be  likely  to  meet  with  in  a  day's  walk. 

But  never  mind ;  the  clothes  may  not  fit,  but  they  cost 
the  money — the  watch  may  be  gilt,  but  its  price  was  a 
golden  one — and  '*  what's  the   odds,  so   long   as  you're 

(9) 


'1^  THF    ME'ROHANT    VESSEL. 

happy,"  said  a  jolly  topmate,  as  lie  introduced  himself 
to  my  notice,  in  a  suit  of  clothes  big  enough  for  the  largest 
man  in  all  Ohio,  a  ''long-faced  hat,"  a  watch  in  each 
vest  pocket,  rings  on  every  finger,  including  the  thumbs, 
and  a  breastpin  almost  large  enough  for  a  dinner  plate. 

"•  You  know,"  said  he,  with  the  air  of  one  having  some 
experience  in  such  matters,  ''  one  must  be  in  the  fashion. 
Now  nobody  would  take  me  for  an  old  salt ;  they  won't 
say  '  go  away  sailor,  you  smell  of  tar.'  " 

I  thought  'perhaps  they  wouldn't,  but  respectfully 
declined  investing  in  a  similar  manner,  to  Jack's  evi- 
dent disgust.  Not  all,  however,  of  our  crew  sported 
their  two  watches,  or  dressed  in  style.  I  am  sorry  to 
say  that  not  a  few  commenced  a  spree  on  the  first  day 
ashore,  from  which  they  only  waked  up  to  find  them- 
selves outward  bound,  and  the  landlord  prepared  to 
ship  them,  and  pocket  no  inconsiderable  share  of  their 
advance  money.  There  were  yet  others,  and  these  were 
principally  the  old  merchant  sailors,  who  were  ofi^,  as  soon 
as  they  received  their  pay,  to  one  of  the  northern  sea- 
ports, with  the  intention  of  shipping  for  some  foreign  port, 
Liverpool,  London,  Havre,  or  "up  the  straits,"  as  the 
Mediterranean  is  called,  where,  being  old  cruising  grounds 
to  them,  they  thought  to  have  their  spree  out  to  greater 
advantage  than  in  the  United  States. 

I  fear  but  few,  of  the  many  who  had  talked  so  loudly 
of  going  home,  had  the  strength  of  purpose  to  carry  their 
resolution  into  efiect.  Many  were  doubtless  persuaded 
ofi"  by  their  shipmates,  and  went  "  one  more  voyage" — 
which  is  like  the  toper's  ''one  more  glass,"  something 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  11 

that  upsets  all  plans  for  reform.  Others  intended  only  to 
take  a  little  preliminary  spree,  but  spent  too  large  a  pro- 
portion of  their  savings  in  that,  and  then  abandoned  all 
idea  of  seeing  home  till  after  another  good  voyage. 

As  for  myself,  it  had  been  determined  that  the  com- 
pany which  I  had  joined  should  go  to  Boston,  from  whence 
I  intended  to  make  my  first  trip  in  a  merchant  vessel. 
Our  party  consisted  of  five ;  two  seamen,  old  sea-dogs,  one 
of  them  a  captain  of  the  mizzentop,  two  ordinary  seamen, 
and  myself,  a  boy.  The  three  last  mentioned  were  steady, 
temperance  lads,  but  the  old  tars  were  confirmed  topers, 
who  were  conscious  that  they  could  not  resist  the  tempta- 
tion to  spreeing,  and  had  made  us  youngsters  promise, 
while  yet  on  board  ship,  that  we  would  see  to  them. 

Fearing  the  utter  impossibility  of  keeping  straight 
all  the  way  from  Norfolk  to  Boston,  the  luminous  idea 
struck  Harry  Hill,  the  captain  of  the  top,  to  charter  the 
cabin  of  a  little  coasting  schooner,  about  to  proceed  to 
Boston. 

*'  And  then,"  said  he,  **  if  old  Tommy  Martin  and  I 
get  on  our  beam-ends,  you  boys  can  put  us  into  our  berths, 
and  there  will  be  no  bloody  land  sharks  to  pick  our 
pockets." 

This  proposition  was  accordingly  carried  into  effect. 
We  paid  fifty  dollars  for  the  use  of  the  cabin,  the  captain 
to  **  eat  us,"  he  agreeing,  also,  to  start  away  the  same 
day  we  were  paid  ofi^,  which  clause  of  the  contract  I 
insisted  on,  fearing,  were  we  detained  any  time  in  Nor- 
folk, that  my  topmates  would  get  on  an  interminable 
spree.     I  had  determined  on  carrying  them  soberly  to  the 


12  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

Sailors'  Home,  in  Boston,  and  there,  placing  them  under 
good  influences,  try  to  make  them  lay  aside  a  portion  of 
their  earnings. 

Accordingly,  we  paid  our  board  bill — three  days,  at. 
the  rate  of  two  dollars  and  a  half  per  day;  for  sleeping 
in  a  garret,  furnishing  our  own  bedding,  and  eating  an 
occasional  meal  in  the  house — but  homeward  bound  sailors 
don't  dispute  bills — and  took  ourselves  and  baggage  down 
to  the  schooner.  On  getting  on  board,  I  found  in  the 
cabin  lockers  sundry  jugs,  labelled  "brandy,"  "rum," 
and  "  wine,"  which  our  two  old  tars  had  smuggled  ofl*  on 
the  day  before,  unknown  to  the  sober  portion  of  the  party. 
The  wine,  Harry  Hill  said  he  had  gotten  expressly  for 
us,  as  such  a  glorious  time  as  we  might  now  have,  should 
not  be  entirely  thrown  away.  Procuring  some  oysters,  on 
our  way  down  the  bay,  we  were  soon  outside,  making 
good  headway  toward  Boston. 

Our  two  old  topmates  saw  but  little  of  the  daylight 
while  the  liquor  lasted,  but  as  a  good  deal  of  it  leaked 
out,  they  had  abundant  time  to  get  sober  before  we 
arrived  in  port.  For  myself,  being  my  first  trip  on  so 
small  a  vessel,  I  enjoyed  myself  very  much.  By  the  time 
we  reached  Boston  I  had  learned  to  steer,  which  neces- 
sary accomplishment  no  one  has  a  chance  of  acquiring  on 
board  a  man-of-war,  where  only  the  most  experienced 
of  the  seamen  are  permitted  to  take  the  wheel. 

Arrived  at  the  wharf  in  Boston,  we  took  a  coach, 
(Harry  Hill  insisting  upon  going  on  deck  with  the  driver, 
having  had  a  surfeit  of  the  cabin,  coming  from  Norfolk,) 
and  drove  up  to  the  Sailors'  Home,  in  Purchase  street,  in 


THE    MERCHANT    YESSEL.  13 

a  style  calculated  to  let  folks  know  that  we  were  home- 
ward bounders.  Sailors'  Homes,  almost  every  body  knows, 
have  been  established  in  almost  every  large  seaport  in  the 
Union,  for  the  purpose  of  providing  seamen,  while  on 
shore,  with  boarding  houses  conducted  on  honest  prin- 
ciples, and  mostly  by  religious  people,  and  where  they 
will  be  removed  as  far  as  may  be  from  the  temptations 
of  the  land.  That  in  Purchase  street,  Boston,  always 
enjoyed  a  high  reputation,  being  a  very  large  and  com- 
modiously  arranged  building,  where  everything  was  quiet 
and  scrupulously  neat,  and  where  no  efforts  were  spared 
by  the  kind-hearted  "landlord,"  Mr.  Chaney,  and  his 
excellent  lady,  to  make  the  tars  comfortable,  and  to  aid 
them  in  their  efforts  at  keeping  on  the  right  track. 

Entering  our  names,  and  the  name  of  our  last  ship,  on 
the  register,  we  were  shown  to  nice,  airy,  rooms,  where 
matters  looked  more  like  comfort  than  anything  I  had 
seen  for  upward  of  three  years.  The  regulations  of  the 
house  were  suspended  in  each  room,  and  from  these  I 
gathered,  among  other  matters,  that  there  was  in  the 
building  a  reading  room  and  a  smoking  room,  for  the  use 
of  all  the  boarders,  that  prayers  were  held  in  the  former 
apartment  every  morning,  before  breakfast,  which  all  in 
the  house  were  invited  to  attend,  and  that  on  Sabbath 
divine  service  was  held  in  a  chapel  opposite  the  Home. 

That  night  I  enjoyed  a  glorious  rest.  Tor  three  long 
years  a  narrow  hammock,  hung  on  a  crowded  deck,  had 
been  my  only  sleeping  place — aside  from  a  still  harder 
deck  plank — and  to  find  myself  once  more  in  a  good  bed, 
with  nice,  clean  sheets  and  piUows,  and  surrounded  by 


14  THE    MERCHANT     VESSEL. 

all  tlie  comforts  of  home,  comforts,  by-the-way,  which  we 
don't  know  how  to  value  till  we  are  obliged  to  do  without 
them,  was  a  most  unmistakable  pleasure.  I  had  taken 
Harry  Hill  as  my  room-mate. 

"  Now,  my  boy,"  said  he,  as  he  *'  turned  in,"  "  there 
will  be  no  calling  of  all  hands  to-morrow,  no  turning  out 
in  the  cold  to  scrub  decks,  no  getting  down  on  your  mar- 
row-bones, with  holy-stones  and  sand.  So  you  can  take 
just  as  much  comfort  as  you  please.  I'm  only  afraid  I'll 
sleep  so  sound  I  shan't  enjoy  it  at  all — so  if  you  wake  up 
along  in  the  mid-watch,  give  me  a  call,  that  I  may 
freshen  my  reckoning." 

But  there  was  no  mid-watch  in  my  dreams  that  night. 

The  loud  ringing  of  a  bell  called  us  down  to  prayers, 
in  the  morning.  I  found  a  very  good  attendance  in  the 
reading  room.  It  was  the  first  time  I  had  attended 
family  worship  since  leaving  home,  and  strange  feelings 
crept  over  me  as  I  listened  to  the  Word  being  read  and 
the  prayer  ofiered.  And  as  the  gray-haired  minister  who 
conducted  the  worship,  asked  God's  blessing  on  those 
there  assembled,  and  on  their  friends,  wherever  they  might 
be,  my  heart  was  full,  at  the  thought  of  the  loved  ones 
at  home,  perhaps  then,  also,  offering  up  their  morning 
service  to  the  Lord. 

But  could  I  go  home  ?  What  had  I  to  tell,  what  had 
I  to  show,  after  my  long  absence?  No!  I  was  deter- 
mined to  see  a  little  more  of  the  world  before  I  showed 
my  face  at  home. 

After  breakfast  our  party  sallied  out  to  take  a  look 
about  the  wharves,  and  pick  out  a  ship,  as  none  of  us 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  15 

intended  to  stay  ashore  above  a  week  or  two.  The  spring 
time  is  always  a  busy  season  with  shipping,  and  we  found 
at  the  wharves  ships,  barques,  brigs  and  schooners,  load- 
ing for  many  different  parts  of  the  world.  After  ramb- 
ling around  the  wharves  awhile,  we  entered  a  shipping 
office.  It  is  to  these  places  that  the  owners  and  masters 
of  vessels,  when  in  want  of  a  crew,  take  their  "  articles," 
the  obligations  which  each  one  on  board  must  sign,  before 
sailing,  and  which  contain  an  abstract  of  the  general  laws 
of  the  merchant-marine,  and  whatever  particular  specifica- 
tions are  deemed  necessary  for  the  voyage  the  ship  is  to 
perform.  These  articles  are  spread  out  on  desks,  about 
the  office,  that  seamen  may  examine  them  and  pick  them- 
selves out  a  voyage. 

Ships  were  plenty  at  this  time,  and  we  entered  an 
office  where  two  East  Indiamen,  a  China  ship,  a  Baltic 
ship,  and  a  vessel  going  round  Cape  Horn,  had  their 
articles  exposed — ^besides  several  small  craft  going  to  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  West  Indies,  and  a  barque  bound  to 
a  southern  port,  and  thence  to  *'  some  port  or  ports  in 
Europe,  at  the  discretion  of  the  captain." 

'*  Here  you  are,  now,"  said  one  of  my  old  friends,  *'you 
want  to  see  somewhat  of  the  world ;  here  you  have  your 
pick,  and  can  take  a  trip  almost  anywhere  you  want  to." 

As  we  stood  there,  two  tars  came  in.  They  had  evi- 
dently been  down  to  look  at  some  of  the  vessels. 

"  Well,  Jack,"  said  one,  '*  which  shall  it  be,  Eussia  or 
China?" 

**What  do  you  say  to  Bombay,  Tom?"  asked  the 
other. 


16  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

*'  Well,  I'm  agreed.'* 

And  they  signed  the  articles  of  a  vessel  bound  to 
"  Bombay,  and  such  other  ports  in  the  East  Indies  or 
China,  as  the  captain  may  determine,  the  voyage  not  to 
exceed  two  years." 

It  seemed  strange  to  me  to  see  men  disposing  so  care- 
lessly of  their  future,  for  the  next  year  or  two  ;  choosing 
at  hap-hazard,  between  the  frosts  of  the  Baltic  sea,  and 
burning  sun  of  the  Indies ;  the  hardships  of  a  Eussian 
voyage,  and  the  sickness  incident  to  a  trip  to  China.  But 
I  soon  found  this  was  a  mere  matter  of  habit,  and  before 
I  was  much  older,  learned,  myself,  to  start  to  the  utter- 
most ends  of  the  earth  at  five  minutes  notice,  and  per- 
haps merely  to  oblige  an  old  shipmate,  or  even  from  a 
less  reasonable  caprice. 

I  desired  much  to  go  to  the  East  Indies,  but  thought 
best  to  make  a  short  European  voyage,  first,  in  order  to 
be  inducted  regularly  into  the  life,  and  ways,  and  duties 
of  a  fiierchant  vessel,  before  going  on  a  long  trip  in  a 
fancy  Indiaman.  So  I  one  day  shipped  myself  in  a 
barque,  going  to  New  Orleans,  thence  to  Liverpool  or 
Havre.  The  rest  of  our  party  of  five,  all  sailed  before 
me.  Two  went  to  Eussia,  one  to  Buenos  Ayres,  and  the 
other  to  Curacoa,  in  the  West  Indies.  When  they  were 
all  gone  I  felt  really  lonesome ;  but  as  the  day  drew  near, 
on  which  I  too  was  to  leave,  to  embark  in  a  line  of  duty 
entirely  new  to  me,  and  in  which  I  knew  not  what  success 
I  should  have,  I  must  confess  my  heart  sank  within  me. 

However,  the  hour  came  at  last.  The  shipping  agent 
sends  word  to   the  places  of  residence   of  the  various 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  17 

members  of  the  crew,  of  the  precise  day  and  hour  of  sailing, 
which  is  generally  determined  on  some  days  beforehand. 
The  crew  of  a  merchant  vessel  do  not  go  on  board  until 
just  as  the  ship  is  about  to  cast  off  from  the  wharf. 
And  on  returning  home,  they  barely  make  fast  the  ship, 
and  then  leave  her.  As  crews  are  picked  up  at  hap-haz- 
ard,  the  different  individuals  are,  in  general,  strangers  to 
each  other,  and  it  is  some  days  before  all  hands  become 
acquainted  and  sociable.  If  now,  in  addition  to  being 
strangers,  one  half  of  them  are  drunk  on  their  arrival  in 
the  forecastle,  and  consequently  unfit  for  duty,  and  ready 
for  a  quarrel  with  the  officers,  (and  this  was  precisely  the 
case  on  this  occasion)  it  need  not  to  be  said  that  going 
out  to  sea,  under  such  circumstances,  is  not  the  most 
pleasant  incident  in  one's  life. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Sail  for  New  Orleans — Going  to  Sea  with  a  Drunken  Crew — A 
Merchantman's  Forecastle — "Man  the  Windlass'' — Choosing 
Watches — Some  points  of  Difference  between  the  Merchant 
Service  and  the  Navy,  with  a  short  digression  into  the  Phi- 
losophy of  Sailorcraft. 

Our  crew  numbered  ten,  before  the  mast,  of  whom 
two,  myself  and  another,  were  boys,  the  rest  being  able 
seamen.  We  came  on  board  at  nine,  a.  m.,  but  early 
as  it  was,  six  of  the  men,  taking  time  by  the  forelock, 
were  already  tipsy,  and  of  course,  as  cross  as  bears. 
They  were  brought  on  board  by  the  boarding  house 
keepers,  and  stowed  away  in  the  forecastle,  that  they 
might,  by  means  of  a  nap,  recoyer  their  sober  senses. 
Meantime  four  of  us  cast  off  the  lines,  loosed  the  sails, 
and  sheeting  home  the  foretopsail,  dropped  down  the  har- 
bor a  little  way,  and  then  came  to  anchor,  the  captain 
determining  to  wait  till  the  morrow,  and  go  to  sea  with  a 
sober  crew. 

Our  forecastle  was  a  dirty  little  hole,  into  which 
scarcely  a  glimmer  of  daylight  could  penetrate.  Being 
just  in  the  bow  of  the  vessel,  its  shape  was  triangular; 

(18) 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  19 

the  space  clear  of  the  berths  being  about  six  feet  in  length 
by  five  wide  at  the  base,  divided  in  the  middle  by  a  large 
stancheon,  which  formed,  on  deck,  the  pall-bit  of  the 
windlass.  Into  this  little  space,  ten  of  us,  drunk  and 
sober  together,  were  crowded,  when  evening  set  in,  it 
being  yet  to  cold  to  stay  out  on  deck. 

After  coming  to  an  anchor,  the  first  labor  was  to  clear 
up  this  place,  which  was  to  be  our  residence  for  some 
time.  The  forecastle,  being  untenanted  in  harbor,  is 
generally  used  by  the  mates  or  ship-keepers  as  a  place  of 
deposit  for  old  rigging,  and  we  found  our  hunks  full  of 
all  manner  of  odds  and  ends  of  rigging.  Throwing  this 
stuff  upon  deck,  we  arranged  our  bedding,  lashed  and 
cleated  our  chests,  to  prevent  their  fetching  away,  and 
then,  having  taken  supper,  turned  in,  to  keep  warm.  I 
slept  but  little  all  night,  feeling  altogether  out  of  place 
among  a  lot  of  drunken  men,  who  were  turning  uneasily 
in  their  bunks,  cursing  and  swearing,  as  they  shivered  in 
the  cold. 

Morning  dawned  at  last,  and  with  the  earliest  ray  of 
light,  the  second  mate  rapped  over-head  with  a  hand- 
spike, calling  all  hands  to  up  anchor.  How  different, 
thought  I,  from  the  shrill  pipes  of  the  boatswain  and 
his  mates,  which  I  had  been  so  long  accustomed  to.  We 
turned  out  and  sat  on  our  chests,  waiting  for  the  call  to 
"  man  the  windlass."  Several  of  the  drunkards  of  the 
previous  day  were  grumbling  about  sore  heads,  and  ran- 
sacked the  forecastle  through  for  some  liquor.  One  at 
last  bethought  him  to  look  into  his  chest,  and  took  thence 
a  large  jug,  at  which  all  except  myself  took  a  long  pull. 


20  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

It  was  passed  to  me  too,  but  my  refusal  to  participate 
seemed,  nevertheless,  to  please  every  one. 

Presently,  "man  tlie  windlass,  there,"  from  the  mate, 
called  us  on  deck. 

*'  Go  aloft  two  hands,  and  loose  the  topsails  and  top- 
gallantsails,"  sung  out  the  captain,  as  we  mustered  on 
the  topgallant  forecastle.  I  jumped  aloft  at  the  fore,  let 
fall  the  topsail,  topgallantsail,  and  foresail,  and  over- 
hauled the  rigging,  there  being  but  little  wind.  We  then 
hove  short  on  the  anchor,  sheeted  home  the  foretopsail — 
a  few  heaves,  and — "  the  anchor's  away,  sir,"  sung  out 
the  mate. 

"  Heave  him  up,  and  come  this  way  two  hands — brace 
up  the  foreyard." 

To  me,  who  had  been  accustomed  to  seeing  two  or  three 
hundred  men  pulling  on  a  brace  or  halyards,  it  seemed 
very  strange  to  see  two  men  called  to  brace  up  a  yard,  or 
to  see  five  or  six  men  run  up  a  topsail  halyards,  to  a  cheery 
^0  heave  yoli,  one  man  running  up  aloft  to  the  fly  block,  and 
then  riding  down  on  the  fall.  On  board  a  vessel  of  war 
no  singing  out  at  ropes  is  allowed,  the  call  of  the  boat- 
swain's mate  giving  the  signal,  to  which  all  pull  together. 
The  merchant  sailor,  on  the  contrary,  delights  in  making 
a  noise  when  pulling  on  ropes,  and  getting  up  anchor  or 
hoisting  topsails,  with  a  good  crew,  is  always  enlivened 
by  various  cheering  songs,  which  serve  the  purpose  of 
keeping  all  hands  in  good  humor,  and  lightening  the 
work.  Our  crew  were  yet  too  much  stupified  with  hard 
drinking  to  be  able  to  raise  a  song,  and  the  anchor  was 
catted  and  the  topsails  sheeted  home,  with  nothing  livelier 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  21 

than  the  never-failing  ''yoho,  pull  boys."  We  stood  out 
past  Boston  Light  House,  with  a  light  but  fair  breeze, 
and  were  soon  out  in  the  open  Bay,  with  the  highland  of 
Cape  Cod  ahead.  The  anchors  were  got  on  the  bows,  a 
portion  of  the  chain  cable  run  down  into  the  chain-locker, 
the  decks  swept,  and  then  "get  your  breakfasts." 

Each  one  took  his  pot  to  the  ''galley,"  getting  it 
filled  with  coffee  (sweetened  with  molasses),  while  I, 
being  the  hoy,  took  the  meat  and  the  lobscouse  down  into 
the  forecastle,  and  got  the  bread-barge  supplied  with 
bread.  Lohscouse  is  the  sea  name  for  a  species  of  hash 
or  stew,  made  of  potatoes,  bread,  onions,  and  chopped 
salt  beef  It  is  a  savory  mess  for  hungry  tars,  and  forms 
a  standard  dish  for  breakfast  on  board  all  good  ships. 
The  scouse,  the  beef,  and  bread,  being  duly  arranged  on 
the  forecastle  deck,  each  one  helped  himself  to  what  he 
pleased,  sitting  on  his  chest,  with  the  pot  of  coffee,  and 
his  tin  pan  beside  him.  The  old  topers  took  a  final  swig 
at  their  jug,  and  it  being  emptied,  declared  it  a  ''  dead 
marine,"  and  tossed  it  into  the  chain-locker.  Then  break- 
fast began,  amid  a  little  cheerful  conversation,  every  one 
appearing  glad  at  the  thought  that  we  were  fairly  under- 
weigh.  Presently,  ''  one  bell "  was  struck,  and  the  man 
at  the  wheel  was  relieved,  to  get  his  breakfast.  At  two 
bells,  we  were  again  *'  turned  to,"  and  got  to  work  to 
put  on  chafing  gear,  lash  water  casks,  and  get  all  fast 
about  decks,  ready  for  sea.  In  this  duty  the  day  was 
spent,  and  by  evening  Cape  Cod  Light  was  well  astern. 

After  supper,  all  hands  were  called  aft,  and  the  mates 
choose  watches  for  the  voyage.     All  hands  are  ranged 


22  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

along  the  quarter  deck,  and  the  mate  and  second  mate 
choose  alternately,  such  men  as  they  like  best.  It  is 
generally  thought  preferable  to  be  in  the  mate's  watch, 
as  the  second  mate's  is  also  the  captain's,  and  has,  there- 
fore, two  heads,  and  often  a  consequent  double  allowance 
of  work.  Watches  are  not  chosen  until  the  close  of  the 
first  day  out,  in  order  that  the  qualifications  of  difierent 
individuals  of  the  crew  may  be  tested.  Each  mate  has 
thus  a  chance  to  settle  in  his  mind  what  men  he  fancies, 
while  the  men  have  likewise  an  opportunity  of  judging 
as  to  the  relative  qualifications  of  the  mates.  I  had 
taken  a  fancy  to  the  chief  mate,  who  was  a  smart, 
lively  Yankee,  and  had  done  my  best  all  day,  in  order  to 
attract  his  favorable  notice,  with  the  object  of  being 
chosen  by  him.  The  seamen  were  of  course  picked  first. 
When  only  an  ordinary  seaman  and  myself  were  left  to 
chose  from,  the  mates  conferred  together,  and  finally,  to 
my  great  satisfaction,  the  mate  said : 

"  Here,  my  lad,  come  over  to  my  side — " 

**  Can  you  steer  ?"  he  asked  me. 

"  Yes  sir." 

"  W^hat's  your  name  ?'' 

**  Charles,  sir." 

''  Well,  Charles,  you  may  go  and  take  the  wheel  till 
eight  bells,  as  we  have  the  first  eight  hours  in. 

I  had  said  that  I  could  steer,  but  I  now  took  the  helm 
with  no  little  misgiving.  I  had  done  my  best,  while  on 
board  the  schooner,  from  Norfolk  to  Boston,  to  make  my- 
self familiar  with  the  mystery  of  guiding  a  vessel  on  her 
course,  but  the  little  experience  gained  there,  did  not 


T  U  E     M  E  K  C  11  A  N  T     V  E  S  S  E  L  .  23 

suffice  to  give  me  any  degree  of  expertness  in  the  art. 
Fortunately  for  me  the  breeze  was  light  and  steady, 
and  the  ship  steered  well,  and  so  I  steered  my  first  trick 
without  being  found  fault  with. 

With  a  freshening  breeze,  by  twelve  o'clock  the  High- 
land light  was  out  of  sight,  and  the  next  morning  we 
were  fairly  out  at  sea,  and  the  regular  routine  of  sea-life 
began.  Our  crew  had  by  this  time  all  gotten  sober,  and 
with  clearer  heads  there  came  merrier  faces,  the  mutin- 
ous and  loafing  wretch  of  the  day  before,  being  now  trans- 
formed into  a  smart,  lively,  and  willing  tar,  able  and 
ready  for  any  duty — to  '*  hand,  reef,  or  steer,  or  heave 
the  lead."  Taking  altogether,  we  found  ourselves  to  be 
about  as  good  a  crew — liquor  aside — as  could  be  gotten 
together,  for  a  vessel  like  ours.  And  when  we  got 
acquainted,  got  to  know  each  one's  calibre  and  capacities, 
we  jogged  along  very  happily  together. 

I  found  some  very  great  difierences  between  life  '*  in 
the  Service,"  and  in  a  merchant  vessel.  In  the  first 
place,  our  work  here  was  infinitely  harder.  With  only 
five  men  in  a  watch,  each  individual  must  put  out  his 
whole  strength,  in  tightening  a  brace,  swigging  home  a 
sheet,  or  pulling  up  a  halyard.  As  a  consequence  of  this, 
by  the  time  we  were  fairly  out  of  the  Bay,  my  hands 
were  full  of  blisters  and  cracks,  a  thing  which  had  not 
probably  happened  to  any  one  on  board  a  Naval  vessel 
once  in  three  years.  And  the  hard  straining  at  ropes, 
and  often  at  the  wheel,  when  the  wind  blew  fresh,  made 
me  for  a  while  sore  all  over,  as  though  I  had  been  beaten 
with  a  stick. 


24  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.^ 

Next,  there  is  very  great  difference  between  the  treat- 
ment in  the  Navy  and  that  in  the  merchant  service.  I'he 
captain  of  a  man-of-war  has  a  power  ahnost  of  life  and 
death  over  the  sailors  under  his  command.  An  act  of 
overt  disobedience  would  be  a  piece  of  unheard  of  insanity; 
not  even  a  muttered  growl,  or  an  angry  look  is  tolerated. 
Mutiny,  that  dread  word  to  the  man-of-war's-man,  is  sup- 
posed to  lurk  under  all  such  expressions  of  dislike.  The 
cat  is  ever  in  the  foreground,  a  warning  to  all. 

"  You  may  think  what  you  please,  so  long  as  you  don't 
think  aloud,'"  this  is  about  the  amount  of  the  Blue  Jack- 
ets' liberty  of  speech — and  liberty  of  action,  he  has  none. 
He  eats,  drinks,  sleeps,  and  works,  only  at  the  beck  and 
nod  of  his  superior.  To  be  sure,  this  takes  away  from 
him  all  sense  of  responsibility.  Others  do  his  thinking ; 
a  plan  of  his  life,  with  specifications  annexed,  is  ever 
hanging  above  the  desk  of  the  captain's  clerk.  He  has 
not  to  provide  for  the  morrow — and  even  if  it  is  not  at 
all  provided  for,  the  responsibility  is  not  with  him. 

Here  is  taught  to  its  fullest  perfection,  that  great  secret 
of  all  disciplined  organizations,  obey  orders — ''obey  orders, 
if  you  break  owners,"  as  Jack  has  significantly  rendered 
it.  Instant,  unhesitating,  unthinking  obedience  to  the 
order  that  is  given — this  is  the  one  great  rule,  which  is 
impressed  upon  the  mind  of  the  sailor,  until  it  becomes 
to  him  a  second  nature,  and  he  rushes  carelessly  but  con- 
sciously, in  the  face  of  death,  or  on  to  certain  destruction, 
at  the  word  of  his  commanding  officer,  leaving  all  respon- 
sibility of  the  result  with  him. 

"  Jump!"  shouted  a  captain  to  a  cabin-boy,  who,  in  a  fit 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  25 

of  foolish  bravado,  had  crawled  out  to  the  end  of  the 
mainrojal  yard,  and  now  clung  there,  between  sky  and 
water,  unable  to  get  in,  afraid  to  move  for  fear  of  falling. 
*'Jump!  you  scoundrel,  instantly!"  and  the  boy  unhesi- 
tatingly leaped  from  the  dizzy  height  into  the  blue  wave 
beneath — and  was  saved.  A  landsman  would  have  argued 
the  point — or  at  least  have  taken  time  to  turn  over  in 
his  mind  the  expediency  of  obeying  the  order,  and  he 
would  have  lost  his  hold,  and  been  dashed  to  pieces  on 
deck. 

Now  it  is  true,  and  this  little  story  exemplifies  it,  that 
this  kind  of  discipline  is  necessary  on  board  ship,  and 
particularly  on  board  a  Naval  vessel,  where  a  great  num- 
ber of  bodies  are  placed  under  command  of  one  mind — but 
what  kind  of  men  does  it  make  of  these  bodies.  Plainly, 
it  takes  away  all  the  more  valuable  part  of  the  indi- 
vidual, his  mind ;  or  rather,  it  accustoms  him  to  lay  it 
aside  as  useless,  and  depend  upon  another  for  that  which 
God  has  given  to  all.  It  is  this,  to  a  great  extent,  which 
makes  the  man-of-war's  man  unfit  for  any  other  phase  of 
life  than  that  in  which  he  has  been  bred  up.  And  it  is 
this,  too,  which  makes  him  so  very  generally  dissolute 
when  on  shore,  and  almost  entirely  incapacitates  him  for 
taking  care  of  himself.  His  car  of  life  requires  a  vigi- 
lant conductor,  to  keep  it  from  running  off  the  track. 

But  in  the  merchant  service  this  point  of  discipline, 
although  perfectly  well  understood,  and  enforced,  in  emer- 
gencies, where  only  it  is  necessary,  does  not  enter  into 
the  daily  life.     The  seaman  there,  assumes  interests,  and 


26  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

feels  consequent  responsibilities,  to  whicli  Blue  Jacket  is 
a  stranger.  He  keeps  a  sharp  look-out  to  see  all  secure 
aloft — because,  should  anything  give  way,  it  would  occa- 
sion him  an  unwelcome  addition  to  labors  already  suffi- 
ciently heavy.  The  work  being  divided  among  but  few 
hands,  each  one  feels  interested  in  devising  means  to 
make  it  as  light  as  possible.  In  short,  the  safety,  and 
the  comfort  of  all  depend  upon  the  thoughtfulness  of 
each.  In  this  respect  the  merchant  service  is  infinitely 
preferable  to  the  Navy,  as  a  school  for  training.  And, 
as  a  consequence,  the  merchant  sailor  is  valued,  while 
the  veteran  man-of-war' s-man  is  almost  despised. 

Begging  the  reader  have  patience  with  this  rather 
prosy  digression  into  the  philosophy  of  sailorcraft,  we  will 
go  on.  There  is  no  one  thing  in  which  the  merchant  sea- 
man is  so  far  above  Uncle  Sam's  man,  than  in  this, 
that  he  does  his  duty  without  the  fear  of  punishment 
before  his  eyes.  No  one  who  has  not  experienced  both 
states  can  imagine  the  degradation  of  the  one,  or  the  honest 
elevation  of  the  other.  Hard  and  disagreeable  his  work 
is,  without  doubt,  but  he  knows  his  duty,  and  his  rights, 
and  says,  mentally,  to  his  superior,  "thus  far,  and  no 
farther  can  you  go  with  me."  And  among  every  good 
crew  there  exists  an  esprit  de  corps,  which  makes  them 
do  their  duty  willingly,  but  present  a  front  as  of  one 
man  to  the  officer  who  attempts  to  exact  more. 

It  must  not  be  imagined,  however,  from  this,  that  the 
life  of  a  merchant  sailor,  aside  from  its  hardships,  is 
necessarily  a  pleasant  one.     The  captain  and  mates  have 


THE    MERCHANT     VESSEL.  27 

always  at  their  command  an  infinity  of  means  of  annoy- 
ance, which  they  may  practice  without  transgressing  any 
law.  There  are  various  little  privileges  of  which  a 
crew  may  be  deprived,  numberless  little  unnecessary 
jobs,  which  may  be  given  them  to  do,  which  will  put 
additional  burdens  on  a  life  already  full  enough  of 
hardships. 


CHAPTER  111. 

Watch-aj^d-Watch— Reefing  Topsails — Catching  a  Sucker — The 
Berry ^s  Keys,  and  the  Deputy  U.  S.  Consul  thereof— Turtle 
Eggs — Mobile  Bay — Our  Crew  Leave. 

On  board  a  good  ship — and  the  one  I  was  now  in  was 
to  be  reckoned  in  most  things  among  that  number — the 
crew  have  watch-and- watch,  that  is  to  say,  the  regular 
alternation  of  watches  continues  during  the  entire  twenty- 
four  hours,  day  as  well  as  night.  On  board  many  vessels 
only  the  fore7ioonwa>tGh.  below  is  granted,  all  hands  being 
kept  up  in  the  afternoon,  in  order  to  get  more  work  done. 
But  I  have  always  found  that  a  watch-and- watch  crew 
would  do  more,  and  do  it  with  a  heartier  good  will  than 
one  that  was  kept  up. 

The  starboard  watch,  being  the  second  mate's,  having 
had  eight  hours  on  deck  the  preceding  night,  had  the 
forenoon  watch  below,  and  all  turned  in  and  slept  till 
seven  bells,  when  they  were  called  up  and  got  their  din- 
ners, prepared  to  relieve  us  at  twelve.  The  afternoon 
watch  being  ours,  was  spent  in  arranging  our  chests  in 
the  forecastle,  mending  or  reading. 

On  board  a  merchant  vessel,  unlike  a  naval  vessel, 
the  watch  on  deck  is  always  kept  busy.  In  the  first  part 
(28) 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  29 

of  a  voyage  there  is  generally  a  sufficiency  of  work  which 
it  is  actually  necessary  to  have  done,  but  in  the  latter 
part  of  a  long  voyage  it  is  often  difficult  to  find  work, 
and  in  such  cases  various  unnecessary  jobs  are  resorted 
to,  such  as  plaiting  sinnet  for  gaskets,  twisting  spun 
yam,  making  sword  mats,  etc.  Anything  to  keep  the 
hands  busy — ''keep  them  at  work  to  keep  mischief  out 
of  their  heads,"  as  the  saying  is  at  sea. 

We  sailed  on  with  a  fair  breeze,  until  we  had  crossed 
the  Gulf,  and  were  about  abreast  of  Charleston,  when  a 
heavy  head  wind  from  the  south-east  forced  us  to  reef 
down.  The  vessel  having  ballast  only  in  her  hold,  and 
none  too  much  of  that,  was  inclined  to  be  crank,  and  we 
could  not  therefore  carry  on  sail,  or  make  much  way 
against  a  head-wind.  We  reefed,  of  course,  one  topsail 
at  a  time,  and  everything  was  done  to  make  the  work  go 
as  easily  as  possible.  The  yard  is  laid  just  so  as  that 
the  topsail  is  continually  lifting,  that  is,  fluttering  in  the 
wind,  neither  full  nor  aback.  And  it  is  the  special  duty 
of  the  helmsman,  for  the  time  being,  to  keep  the  sail  in 
precisely  that  condition.  Eeef tackles  being  hauled  out, 
and  buntlines  tightened,  all  hands  go  aloft,  the  first  one 
up  going  out  to  the  lee  earing — the  weather  earing  being 
the  second  mate's  place — and  the  balance  stretching  out 
along  the  yard,  the  greater  number,  of  course,  to  wind- 
ward. *'  Light  up  the  sail,  light  up  to  windward,"  is 
now  shouted,  and  catching  hold  of  the  reef  points,  each 
one  drags  the  slack  sail  in  the  required  direction.  Directly 
the  second  mate  has  his  earing  or  corner  secured,  and 
"  haul  out  to  leeward,"  is  the  cry.     Those  at  the  leeside 


30  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

haul  out  until  the  reef- band  is  tightly  stretched  along 
the  yard,  when  "  knot  away"  is  shouted,  and  the  points 
are  fastened  tightly  around  the  yard.  Keefing  is  lively 
work — everything  is  done  with  a  rush,  and  there  is  gen- 
erally a  race  down  the  rigging,  some  sliding  down  back- 
stays, others  catching  on  the  halyards,  and  adding  their 
weight  to  the  pull  of  those  on  deck,  who  are  hoisting 
the  reefed  sail. 

We  were  thirty-five  days  from  Boston  to  Mobile.  Our 
original  destination  was  New  Orleans,  but  the  owners  had 
changed  their  minds  after  the  crew  was  shipped,  and 
concluded  to  send  the  vessel  to  Mobile  Bay.  This  leaked 
out  before  we  were  many  days  at  sea,  and  the  articles  of 
agTeement  thus  being  broken,  our  crew,  with  the  way- 
wardness of  true  sailors,  at  once  determined  to  avail 
themselves  of  the  privilege  thereby  aiForded  them,  of 
leaving  the  vessel  on  her  arrival  in  port.  The  sailor  is 
essentially  a  bird  of  passage.  His  is  a  wandering,  vaga- 
bond existence,  and  so  strong  is  his  distaste  for  anything 
resembling  a  steady  pursuit,  that  it  is  a  very  rare  thing 
to  find  a  man  making  two  voyages  in  one  ship.  No  mat- 
ter how  unexceptional  the  vessel,  or  how  kindly  he  has 
been  treated,  there  is  no  persuading  him  to  stay. 

''  No,  we  had  better  not  stay,"  once  said  a  crew,  in  my 
hearing,  whom  a  captain  was  persuading  to  go  with  him 
again. 

"But  why  not?  you  have  a  first  rate  ship,  and  you 
were  never  better  treated  anywhere." 

*' That's  all  true,  sir,"  said  an  old  salt,  with  a  little 
embarrassment,  giving  his  trowsers  a  hitch  at  the  same 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  31 

time,  ''  but  then,  you  know,  if  we  go  with  you  another 
voyage,  we'd  be  getting  too  well  acquainted." 

And  this,  although  no  reason  at  all,  seemingly  met  the 
ideas  of  every  individual  of  the  crew.  Whatever  may 
be  the  true  principle  involved,  certain  it  is,  that  I  never 
knew  a  man  really  worth  having  that  would  go  in  the 
same  vessel  two  voyages  together. 

The  twentieth  day  out  found  us  on  the  Bahama  Banks, 
becalmed  and  anchored  in  eight  fathoms  water,  but  oijt  of 
sight  of  any  land.  We  had  beaten  with  a  stiff  Meeze 
past  the  Hole-in-the-wall,  on  Abaco,  a  place  widely  known 
as  in  days,  or  rather,  nights,  past,  the  scene  of  many 
wrecks,  vessels  being  led  astray  here  by  false  lights,  dis- 
played by  the  wreckers  who  frequent  these  waters  and 
earn  their  bread  by  the  misfortunes  of  their  fellow-men. 
Abaco  is  a  large  revolving  light,  visible  at  from  ten  to 
fifteen  miles  distance,  from  a  ship's  deck,  and  is  of  great 
benefit  to  vessels  passing  in  or  out  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
who  take  this  channel.  It  is  said  that  the  wreckers, 
knowing  that  vessels  make  a  practice  of  steering  safely 
around  the  land,  by  it,  at  night,  used  to  extinguish  it  on 
stormy  nights,  and  exhibit  a  false  light  at  some  distance 
farther  up  the  coast,  so  situating  it,  that  captains  using 
it  as  a  guide,  would  not  fail  to  find  themselves  upon  a 
leeshore,  but  only  when  too  late  to  save  their  vessels. 
To  counterfeit  the  revolutions  of  the  light,  which  is  only 
visible  for  fifteen  seconds  in  every  minute,  it  is  said  that 
they  fastened  a  large,  bright  light  to  the  tail  of  a  horse, 
and  then  drove  the  animal  around  in  a  large  circle,  mak- 
ing a  revolution  once  a  minute,  when,  of  course,  his  body 


32  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

would  conceal  tlie  light  for  a  large  portion  of  the  time, 
producing,  at  a  distance,  the  precise  effect  of  a  revolving 
light — an  ingenious  device,  worthy  of  a  better  cause. 

The  third  day  after  passing  Abaco  we  anchored  on  the 
Banks,  as  the  Bahamas  are  familiarly  called.  The  water 
is  here  beautifully  clear,  the  bottom,  at  a  depth  of  from 
fifty  to  eighty  feet  being  clearly  visible.  I  could  not 
look  enough  at  the  beauteous  conch  shells  strewed  along 
on  the  bottom,  near  our  vessel,  where  the  depth  was  not 
quite  fifty  feet,  or  at  the  fish,  swimming  about  among  great 
lumps  of  sponge  growing  on  the  rocks.  The  steward  soon 
had  a  hook  and  line  over  the  side,  but  caught  only  a  good- 
sized  sucker,  who  in  turn,  as  he  was  being  hauled  up, 
caught  the  side  of  the  vessel,  and  clinging,  by  means  of 
the  flat  plate  of  air-exhausters  with  which  these  fish  are 
furnished,  and  from  which  they  take  their  name,  his 
captor,  after  pulling  as  hard  as  he  could,  was  fain  to 
make  fast  his  end,  until  it  should  suit  the  fish  to  let  go 
of  his  own  accord,  which  did  not  occur  for  several  hours. 
We  had  a  hearty  laugh  at  the  steward's  fishing  adven- 
ture, which  was  cut  short,  however,  by  the  mate,  who,  for 
lack  of  something  else  to  do,  had  gone  into  the  hold  to 
have  a  look  at  the  water-casks,  and  now  came  upon  deck 
with  the  information  that  a  six  gallon  keg  would  contain 
every  drop  of  fresh  water  on  board.  This  was  bad  news. 
We  found  on  examination,  that  it  happened  in  this  wise : 
The  water-casks  put  on  board  in  Boston,  were  in  poor 
order,  having  lain  on  the  wharf  too  long,  and  all  but  two 
had  leaked  dry,  ere  we  were  two  weeks  out.  Two  full 
casks  were,  however,  left,  which  was  abundant  to  carry 


THB    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 


33 


US  into  Mobile  Bay.  Now  the  ship  was  infested  with 
a  horde  of  rats,  and  these  had,  unknown  to  us,  gnawed 
holes  in  both  these  casks,  near  the  bottom.  The  conse- 
quence was,  that  we  lost  nearly  every  drop  of  drinking 
water.  The  captain  determined  to  run  into  the  nearest 
Key  and- obtain  a  supply  sufficient  to  last  us  to  port. 

Accordingly,  that  evening,  a  light 
breeze  springing  up,  we  got  under- 
weigh,  and  the  next  afternoon  an- 
chored in  one  of  the  Berry  Keys. 
Scarcely  was  our  anchor  on  the 
bottom,  before  a  canoe  shot  out 
from  a  little  jungle  near  the  shore, 
in  the  stem  of  which  sat  a  portly 
"  gemman  ob  color,"  whose  appear- 
ance was  certainly  calculated  to 
excite  attention.  He  was,  as  he 
informed  the  skipper  as  soon  as  he 
got  within  hail,  the  Deputy  United 
States  Consul  for  Berry's  Keys,  and 
in  virtue  of  his  office,  had  rigged 
himself  out  in  an  old  blue  dress 
coat  with  two  rows  of  resplendent 
eagle  buttons.  But  in  the  purchase 
of  this  piece  of  finery,  he  had  evi- 
dently exhausted  his  exchequer,  for 
with  the  addition  of  a  broad  palmetto  hat,  probably  of 
home  manufacture,  and  a  rag  about  his  middle,  the 
coat  completed  his  costiune. 

**  *0h,  what  a  fall  was  there,  my  countrymen,'  "  said 
3 


Thb  DapcTy  U.  S.  Consul. 


34  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

the  mate  slily,  as  his  sable  excellency  came  on  board. 
Bestowing  a  look  of  supreme  contempt  upon  us  "  common 
sailors,"  he  at  once  marched  up  to  the  captain,  and 
inquired,  with  an  air  of  authority,  of  our  ports  of  depar- 
ture and  destination,  and  hinted  his  desire  to  see  the 
ship's  papers. 

*'  You'd  rather  see  some  good  rum,  old  fellow,"  said  the 
skipper  rather  irreverently,  **  now,  wouldn't  you?" 

The  exhibition  of  a  shining  set  of  ivory,  and  an 
almost  indefinite  extension  of  white  about  the  eyes,  were 
sufficient  evidences  of  the  favor  with  which  this  remark 
was  received. 

The  appearance  of  the  steward,  with  a  junk-bottle  of 
the  article  in  question,  caused  the  Deputy  United  States 
Consul  to  declare  himself  at  our  service  for  anything  in 
his  line,  which  proved  to  be  a  very  short  line,  however, 
as  it  included  only  an  abundance  of  fresh  water,  and  a 
few  fresh  fish.  Accordingly,  we  lowered  a  boat,  and 
placing  in  it  a  cask,  pulled  ashore,  preceded  by  our  friend, 
who,  depositing  his  coat-tails  carefully  on  a  board  pro- 
vided  for  that  purpose,  sat  in  the  bottom  of  his  canoe  and 
paddled  to  the  beach.  Here  we  found  little  but  a  wilder- 
ness of  tangled  brush,  in  the  midst  of  which,  was  dis- 
cernible the  residence  of  the  Deputy  United  States  Consul. 
His  lady,  possessing,  perhaps,  a  yet  scantier  wardrobe 
than  her  liege  lord,  declined  showing  herself,  even  to  the 
mate,  who  had  expressed  a  strong  desire  to  make  her 
acquaintance.  So  we  were  obliged  to  fill  our  water-cask, 
*' uncheered,"  so  said  he,  *'by  the  smiles  of  beauty,"  and 
returned  on  board,  with  rather  a  poor  opinion  of  this  one 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  35 

of  Berry's  Key's.  Our  Consul  was  monarch  of  all  lie 
surveyed,  and  told  us  that  he  had  done  duty  there  for 
the  United  States  Government  for  fifteen  years,  making 
only  a  semi-annual  trip  to  New  Providence,  to  relieve  the 
tedium  of  his  rather  monotonous  life. 

Besides  the  fish  and  water  before  mentioned,  we  were 
fortunate  enough  to  obtain  a  quantity  of  turtle  eggs,  that 
genuine  West  Indian  luxury,  which,  however,  I  did  not 
like,  although  cooked  in  the  most  approved  style.  I  fan- 
cied a  fishy  taste  about  them,  somewhat  as  though  one 
had  been  cutting  butter  with  a  fish  knife,  and  therefore 
left  the  delicacy  to  my  more  fortunate,  or  less  particular 
shipmates. 

Departing  thence,  we  were  yet  an  entire  week  detained 
upon  the  Banks,  anchoring  and  weighing  anchor,  making 
and  furling  sail,  the  tedious  monotony  of  the  long  calm 
relieved  by  the  occasional  sight  of  a  wrecking  schooner, 
looking  up  her  prey,  or  of  a  passing  vessel,  drifting  in 
sight  and  out  of  sight  again  on  the  far  horizon. 

The  long  expected  * 'slant"  at  last  came,  and  a  few  days' 
sailing  carried  us  into  Mobile  Bay.  Here  we  found  our- 
selves forming  one  of  quite  a  considerable  fleet  of  vessels, 
waiting  for  freights  to  rise,  or  cotton  to  come  down,  in 
order  to  take  in  their  cargoes.  The  city  of  Mobile  is 
situated  at  some  distance  (nearly  thirty  miles)  up  the 
Mobile  Eiver,  the  termination  of  the  Alabama  and  Tom- 
bigbee,  and  is  accessible  only  to  ships  of  light  draught, 
on  account  of  the  Dog  River  har,  which  obstructs  the 
navigation.  The  Bay  is,  however,  perfectly  safe,  having 
a  good  shelter,  and  the  best  of  holding  ground,  and  vessels 


36  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

often  lie  here  ten,  and  even  twelve  months,  waiting  for 
good  freights. 

Our  crew  had  determined  upon  leaving,  but  at  the 
request  of  the  mate,  had  consented  to  remain  long  enough 
to  unbend  the  sails,  send  down  the  topgallant  and  royal 
yards,  and  paint  the  vessel  inside.  This  done,  the  cap- 
tain came  down  to  pay  off. 

This  being  my  first  voyage,  and  not  being  yet  so 
strongly  imbued  with  the  vagabonding  spirit,  I  had  deter- 
mined to  accept  the  advice  of  the  mate,  who  said  "  Stayy 
and  we'll  have  some  fine  times  after  all  hands  are  gone." 
I  was  partly  persuaded  to  this  by  the  crew,  who,  while 
evidently  desiring  me  to  go  with  them,  would  not  conceal 
from  me  that  Mobile  was  a  poor  place  to  get  a  ship,  and 
that  a  boy  would,  of  course,  have  a  poorer  chance  than  a 
man. 

We  were  heartily  sorry  to  part,  for  although  we  had 
been  but  a  short  time  shipmates,  all  hands  had  worked 
so  thoroughly  together,  that  we  felt  already  toward  one- 
another  as  brothers.  Before  leaving,  there  was  a  general 
turn  out  of  chests  in  the  forecastle,  and  a  division  of 
funds,  ''in  order  that  all  might  start  fair" — those  who 
had  most  money  dividing  eagerly  with  their  poorer  ship- 
mates. I  was  happy  in  contributing  a  share  to  the  gen- 
eral stock,  and  so  we  bade  good-bye,  with  a  hearty  wring 
of  the  hand,  which  I  may  as  well  say  gratified  me  greatly, 
as  evidence  that  I  had  been  able  to  get  the  real  good-will 
of  these  single-hearted  fellows.  On  getting  up  to  the 
city  they  sent  me  down  a  fiddle,  wherewith  to  relieve  the 
tiresomeness  of  our  stay — a  gift  of  which  I  could. 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  37 

unluckily,  make  no  use,  having  none  of  that  kind  of  music 
in  my  soul. 

There  were  now  left  only  the  two  mates,  the  cook,  one 
seaman,  and  myself  There  being  so  few  on  board,  of 
course  all  discipline  was  considerably  relaxed ;  with  the 
exception  of  washing  decks  daily,  and  an  occasional  set- 
ting up  of  backstays,  there  was  little  done.  The  fine 
breeze  almost  always  blowing  in  the  Bay,  makes  boat- 
sailing  a  favorite  amusement.  We  soon  rigged  a  sail, 
and  thereafter,  every  favorable  day  was  spent  in  the  boat, 
fishing,  or  racing,  or  making  pic-nics  ashore,  in  company 
with  the  boats'  crews  and  officers  of  other  vessels.  These 
were  fine  times,  and  I  enjoyed  them  hugely.  In  fact,  my 
experience  so  far  in  a  merchant  ship,  had  pleased  me  very 
much.  The  work,  to  be  sure,  was  exceedingly  hard,  at 
sea.  My  hands  after  we  were  three  weeks  out,  resembled 
more  the  claws  of  some  animal  than  any  portion  of 
humanity ;  the  fingers  swollen  and  bent,  the  palms  horny 
and  hard,  and  the  joints  cracked  open,  and  bleeding. 
And  many  a  night  when  I  got  to  my  snug  hunJc,  every 
bone  in  my  body  ached  with  the  exertion  of  turning  the 
huge  wheel,  or  swigging  home  some  sheet  or  halyard. 
"  But  what's  the  odds,  so  long  as  you're  happy,"  thought 
I,  and  in  the  continual  novelty  I  found  sufficient  to  repay 
me  for  the  hardship. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Takenq  in  Cargo — Screwing  Cotton — The  Gangs    and  their 
Chants — Departure  for  Liverpool — Discipline  on  Board. 

Our  boat-sailing  and  fishing  lasted  nearly  a  montli ; 
when  one  day  returning  on  board  from  a  race,  a  letter 
from  the  captain  informed  us  that  the  ship  was  **  taken 
up." 

*' Where  for?"  was,  of  course,  a  question  eagerly  put. 

**ror  Liverpool,"  was  the  answer,  ''and  the  cotton  to 
come  down  next  week." 

All  was  now  bustle  and  preparation.  Numberless  mat- 
ters were  to  be  attended  to  before  the  ship  was  really  ready 
to  take  in  cotton — the  ballast  was  to  be  squared,  dunnage 
prepared,  the  water-casks,  provisions  and  sails  to  be 
lugged  on  deck,  out  of  the  way  of  cargo,  the  nicely 
painted  decks  covered  with  planks,  on  which  to  roll  cotton, 
topgallant  and  royal  yards  crossed,  and  tackles  prepared 
for  hoisting  in  our  freight.  We  had  scarcely  gotten  all 
things  in  proper  trim,  before  a  lighter-load  of  cotton  came 
down,  and  with  it,  a  stevedore  and  several  gangs  of  the 
screw  men,  whose  business  it  is  to  load  cotton-ships. 
(38) 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.         •  89 

Screwing  cotton  is  a  regular  business,  requiring,  besides 
immense  strength,  considerable  experience  in  the  handling 
of  bales,  and  the  management  of  the  jack-screws. 

Several  other  ships  had  "  taken  up"  cargo  at  the  same 
time  we  did,  and  the  Bay  soon  began  to  wear  an  appear- 
ance of  life — lighters  and  steamboats  bringing  down  cot- 
ton, and  the  cheerful  songs  of  the  screw-gangs  resounding 
over  the  water,  as  the  bales  were  driven  tightly  into  the 
hold.  Freights  had  suddenly  risen,  and  the  ships  now 
loading  were  getting  five-eighths  of  a  penny  per  pound. 
It  was  therefore  an  object  to  get  into  the  ship  as  many 
pounds  as  she  could  be  made  to  hold.  The  huge,  unwieldy 
bales  brought  to  Mobile  from  the  plantations  up  the 
country,  are  first  compressed  in  the  cotton  presses,  on 
shore,  which  at  once  diminishes  their  size  by  half,  squeez- 
ing the  soft  fiber  together,  till  a  bale  is  as  solid,  and 
almost  as  hard  as  a  lump  of  iron.  In  this  condition  they 
are  brought  on  board,  and  stowed  in  the  hold,  where  the 
stevedore  makes  a  point  of  getting  three  bales  into  a 
space  in  which  two  could  be  barely  put  by  hand.  It  is 
for  this  purpose  the  jack-screws  are  used.  A  ground  tier 
is  laid  first ;  upon  this,  beginning  aft  and  forward,  two 
bales  are  placed  with  their  inner  covers  projecting  out, 
and  joining,  leaving  a  triangular  space  vacant  within. 
A  hickory  post  is  now  placed  against  the  nearest  beam, 
and  with  this  for  a  fulcrum,  the  screw  is  applied  to  the 
two  bales  at  the  point  where  the  corners  join,  and  little 
by  little  they  come  together,  are  straightened  up,  and  fill 
up  the  triangular  space.  So  great  is  the  force  applied, 
that  not  unfrequently  the  ship's  decks  are  raised  ofi*  the 


40  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

stancheons  which  support  them,  and  the  seams  are  torn 
violently  asunder. 

Five  hands  compose  a  gaiig,  four  to  work  the  screws, 
and  one  to  do  the  headwork — for  no  little  shrewd  man- 
agement is  necessary  to  work  in  the  variously  sized  bales. 
When  a  lighter-load  of  cotton  comes  along  side,  all  hands 
turn  to  and  hoist  it  in.  It  is  piled  on  deck,  until  wanted 
below.  As  soon  as  the  lighter  is  empty,  the  gangs  go  down 
to  the  work  of  stowing  it.  Two  bales  being  placed  and 
the  screws  applied,  the  severe  labor  begins.  The  gang, 
with  their  shirts  off,  and  handkerchiefs  tied  about  their 
heads,  take  hold  the  handles  of  the  screws,  the  foreman 
begins  the  song,  and  at  the  end  of  every  two  lines  the 
worm  of  the  screw  is  forced  to  make  one  revolution,  thus 
gaining  perhaps  two  inches.  Singing,  or  chanting  as  it 
is  called,  is  an  invariable  accompaniment  to  working 
in  cotton,  and  many  of  the  screw-gangs  have  an  endless 
collection  of  songs,  rough  and  uncouth,  both  in  words  and 
melody,  but  answering  well  the  purposes  of  making  all 
pull  together,  and  enlivening  the  heavy  toil.  The  fore- 
man is  the  chanty-man,  who  sings  the  song,  the  gang 
only  joining  in  the  chorus,  which  comes  in  at  the  end  of 
every  line,  and  at  the  end  of  which  again  comes  the  pull 
at  the  screw  handles.  One  song  generally  suffices  to 
bring  home  the  screw,  when  a  new  set  is  got  upon  the 
bale,  and  a  fresh  song  is  commenced. 

The  chants,  as  may  be  supposed,  have  more  of  rhyme 
than  reason  in  them.  The  tunes  are  generally  plaintive 
and  monotonous,  as  are  most  of  the  capstan  tunes  of 
sailors,  but  resounding  over  the  still  waters  of  the  Bay, 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  41 

they  had  a  fine  effect.  There  was  one,  in  which  figured 
that  mythical  personage  "Old  Stormy,"  the  rising  and 
falling  cadences  of  which,  as  they  swept  over  the  Bay  on 
the  breeze,  I  was  never  tired  of  listening  to.  It  may 
amuse  some  of  my  readers  to  give  here  a  few  stanzas  of 
this  and  some  other  of  these  chants,  "  Stormy"  is  sup 
posed  to  have  died,  and  the  first  song  begins : 

Old  Stormy,  he  is  dead  and  gone, 
Chc/nis — Carry  him  along,  boys,  carry  him  along, 

Oh !  carry  him  to  his  long  home, 
Chorus — Carry  him  to  the  burying-ground. 

Oh !  ye  who  dig  Old  Stormy's  grave, 
Chorm — Carry  him  along,  boys,  carry  him  along, 

Dig  it  deep  and  bury  him  safe, 
Ch(yru3 — Carry  him  to  the  burying-ground. 

Lower  him  down  with  a  golden  chain, 
Chortis — Carry  him  along,  boys,  carry  him  along, 

Then  he'll  never  rise  again. 
Chorus — Carry  him  to  the  burying-ground. 
Grand  Chorus — Way-oh-way-oh-way — storm  along, 

Way — ^you  rolling  crew,  storm  along  stormy. 

And  so  on  ad  infinitum,  or  more  properly  speaking, 
till  the  screw  is  run  out. 

There  was  another  in  praise  of  Dollars,  commencing 

thus : 

Oh,  we  work  for  a  Yankee  Dollar, 
Chorus — Hurrah,  see — man — do, 

Yankee  dollar,  bully  dollar. 
Chorus — Hurrah,  see — man — dollar. 

Silver  dollar,  pretty  dollar, 
Chorus — Hurrah,  see — man — do, 

I  want  your  silver  dollars. 
Chorus — Oh,  Captain,  pay  me  dollar. 


42  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

Another,  encouraging  the  gang : 

Lift  him  up  and  carry  him  along, 

Fire,  maringo,  fire  away, 
Put  him  down  where  he  belongs. 

Fire,  maringo,  fire  away. 
Ease  him  down  and  let  him  lay, 

Fire,  maringo,  fire  away. 
Screw  him  in,  and  there  he^ll  stay, 

Fire,  maringo,  fire  away. 
Stow  him  in  his  hole  below, 

Fire,  maringo,  fire  away, 
Say  he  must,  and  then  he'll  go, 

Fire,  maringo,  fire  away. 

Yet  another,  calling  to  their  minds  the  peculiarities  of 
many  spots  with  which  they  have  become  familiar  in  their 

voyagings: 

Were  you  ever  in  Quebec, 
Chorus — Bonnie  laddie,  highland  laddie, 

Stowing  timber  on  the  deck, 
Chorus — My  bonnie  highland  laddie,  oh. 

Were  you  ever  in  Dundee, 
Chorus — Bonnie  laddie,  highland  laddie, 

There  some  pretty  ships  you'll  see. 
Chorus — My  bonnie  highland  laddie,  oh. 

Were  you  ever  in  Merrimashee. 
Chorus — Bonnie  laddie,  highland  laddie, 

Where  you  make  fast  to  a  tree, 
Chorus — My  bonnie  highland  laddie,  oh. 
^  Were  you  ever  in  Mobile  Bay, 

Chorus — Bonnie  laddie,  highland  laddie, 

Screwing  cotton  by  the  day, 
Chorus — My  bonnie  highland  laddie,  oh. 

These  samples,  which  might  be  continued  to  an  almost 
indefinite  extent,  will  give  the  reader  an  idea  of  what 


■THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  43 

capstan  and  cotton  songs,  or  chants,  are.  The  tunes  are 
the  best  portion,  of  course,  in  all  such  rude  performances. 
But  thege  are  only  to  be  heard  on  board  ship. 

The  men  who  yearly  resort  to  Mobile  Bay  to  screw 
cotton,  are,  as  may  be  imagined,  a  rough  set.  They  are 
mostly  English  and  Irish  sailors,  who,  leaving  their  ves- 
sels here,  remain  until  they  have  saved  a  hundred  or  two 
dollars,  then  ship  for  Liverpool,  London,  or  whatever  port 
may  be  their  favorite,  there  to  spree  it  all  away — and 
return  to  work  out  another  supply.  Screwing  cotton  is, 
I  think,  fairly  entitled  to  be  called  the  most  exhausting 
labor  that  is  done  on  ship  board.  Cooped  up  in  the  dark 
and  confined  hold  of  a  vessel,  the  gangs  tug  from  morn- 
ing till  night  at  the  screws,  the  perspiration  running  off 
them  like  water,  every  muscle  strained  to  its  utmost. 
But  the  men  who  follow  it  prefer  it  to  going  to  sea.  They 
have  better  pay,  better  living,  and  above  all,  are  not 
liable  to  be  called  out  at  any  minute  in  the  night,  to  fight 
the  storm,  or  worse  yet,  to  work  the  ship  against  a  head- 
wind. Their  pay  is  two  dollars  per  day,  and  their  pro- 
visions furnished.  They  sleep  upon  the  cotton  bales  in 
the  hold,  but  few  of  them  bringing  beds  aboard  with 
them.  Those  we  had  on  board,  drank  more  liquor  and 
chewed  more  tobacco,  than  any  set  of  men  I  ever  saw 
elsewhere,  the  severe  labor  seeming  to  require  an  addi- 
tional stimulus.  Altogether,  I  thought  theirs  a  rough 
life,  not  at  all  to  be  envied  them. 

Four  weeks  sufficed  to  load  our  barque,  and  the  last 
key-bale  was  scarce  down  the  hatchway,  when  '*  Loose  the 
topsails,  and  heave  short  on  the  cabb,"  was  the  word. 


44  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

and  we  proceeded  to  get  underweigh  for  Liverpool.  Our 
new  crew  had  come  on  board  several  days  previously,  and 
proved  to  be  much  better  than  the  average  to  be  obtained 
in  cotton  ports,  places  where  sailors  are  generally  scarce, 
and  the  rough  screw-gangs  mostly  fill  their  places. 

The  first  thing  to  be  done,  in  preparing  for  sea,  in  a 
merchant  vessel,  is  to  put  on  the  hatches  (the  coverings 
for  the  holes  in  the  deck,  where  cargo  is  put  down) ,  and 
tightly  caulk  and  batten  them,  a  tarpaulin  being  nailed 
over  all,  for  greater  security  from  the  ingress  of  water. 
This  done,  and  several  bales  which  we  were  to  carry  upon 
deck,  placed  upon  the  hatchways,  we  sailed  out  of  har- 
bor with  a  fair  wind,  spreading  our  studding  sails  to 
the  breeze. 

That  evening  watches  were  again  chosen,  and  I  found 
myself,  to  my  great  pleasure,  once  more  in  the  mate's 
watch.  As  the  ship  was  in  excellent  order,  alow  and 
aloft,  and  as,  too,  there  was  some  expectation  of  our  meet- 
ing with  stormy  weather  during  the  latter  part  of  our  pas- 
sage, watch-and-watch  was  given  us  from  the  first.  With 
this,  good  living,  and  kind  officers,  we  had  cause  to  con- 
gratulate ourselves  upon  having  a  good  ship,  and  after 
the  first  few  days  of  hurrying  work  was  over,  all  went 
pleasantly. 

Our  mates  were  strict  disciplinarians,  and  although 
we  were  allowed  our  regular  watches  below,  no  one  was 
permitted  to  be  idle  on  deck.  No  sooner  did  the  watch 
come  up  from  below,  than  each  one  had  \n&joh  given  him, 
and  not  an  idle  moment  was  spent  during  the  four  hours 
of  watch.     Here  were  two,  drawing  and  knotting  rope- 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  45 

yarns.  There  one,  going  aloft,  marling-spike  in  hand,  to 
mend  some  defective  piece  of  rigging,  put  on  new  chafing- 
gear,  or  seize  up  ratlines.  Yonder  another,  twisting 
foxes,  or  thrumming  a  paunch-mat.  In  short,  each  one 
must  be  doing  something.  This  is  the  rule  of  the  mer- 
chant service — one  that  is  carried  out,  whether  there  is 
any  necessary  work  on  hand  or  not — and  I  have  not 
unfrequently  plaited  sinnet,  or  made  spunyarn  for  an 
entire  passage,  which  would  scarcely  ever  be  used,  and 
was  only  made,  "  to  keep  the  men  busy." 

I  have  often  remarked  that  at  sea,  all  kinds  of  labor, 
except  that  which  is  actually  necessary,  is  irksome — and 
there  is  no  greater,  as  there  is  no  more  unusual  luxury  to 
the  merchant  sailor,  than  to  pass  a  watch  on  deck  with- 
out being  occupied.  This  is  a  piece  of  good  fortune  which 
only  happens  during  a  storm,  when  the  violent  motion  of 
the  vessel  precludes  the  possibility  of  setting  men  at  any 
of  the  usual  employments,  and  when  also,  wise  officers  are 
desirous  of  husbanding  the  energy  of  the  crew,  for  the 
performance  of  the  more  necessary  duties  of  shortening 
sail,  and  working  ship.  It  sounds  odd  to  a  landsman  to 
wish  for  a  storai,  but  give  Jack  a  tight  and  good  sea- 
boat,  and  experienced  officers,  and  he  sees  no  more  com- 
fortable times  than  in  a  good,  steady  gale.  On  such  an 
occasion,  with  the  good  ship  hove-to  under  a  close-reefed 
maintopsail,  or  a  storm -mizzen,  the  helm  lashed  down 
hard  alee,  and  everything  snug,  alow  and  aloft,  the  watch 
gathers  together  under  the  topgallant  forecastle,  or  on  the 
forehatch,  spinning  long  yams  of  past  gales,  or  sprees  on 
shore,  and  the  four  hours  slip  away  before  one  knows  it 


46  THE    MERCHANT    YESSEL. 

It  was  on  such  an  occasion,  during  this  voyage  to 
Liverpool,  that  being  one  day  snugly  ensconced  on  some 
cotton  bales  lying  upon  the  forehatchway,  old  Anton  gave 
us  the  following  experience  of  a  trip  in  a  slaver.  Anton 
was  a  Spanish  sailor,  one  of  the  olden  kind,  *'  first  on  the 
yard,  and  last  at  the  mess,"  a  fellow  who  had  literally 
been  everywhere^  and  had  lived  a  long  life  of  most  singu- 
lar vicissitudes  and  romantic  adventures.  The  yam, 
however,  we  will  reserve  for  another  chapter. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Old  Anton's  Yarn,  A  Cruise  in  a  Slaver. 

*'Well,  bojs,"  said  Anton,  **  settle  yourselves  down 
here,  and  I'll  spin  you  that  yam,  as  the  mate  seems  quiet, 
and  there's  no  fear  of  making  sail  this  watch,  judging 
from  present  appearances. 

"  I  was  in  Havana,  where  I  had  left  the  ship  Isidore, 
of  Barcelona,  in  order  to  take  a  little  longer  cruise  on 
shore  than  the  captain  seemed  willing  to  allow  us.  I  had 
gotten  nearly  to  the  bottom  of  my  pocket — it  don't  take 
long  to  do  that  any  where  in  Cuba — and  was  looking  out 
for  a  ship,  when  happening  one  evening  into  a  little  cigar 
shop,  on  the  Mole,  a  gentleman  who  had  just  purchased 
a  box  of  cigars,  asked  me  if  I  did  not  want  a  ship.  I 
said  yea,  of  course. 

"  Well,  there's  a  brig  in  the  harbor,  bound  to  Tener- 
iffe,  for  wine,  which  wants  a  hand  or  two.  I'm  the  super- 
cargo, and  if  you'll  say  you'll  go,  I'll  pay  you  your 
advance,  go  with  you  to  your  boarding  house,  and  take 
you  on  board  with  me.     We  sail  to-night. 

"  I  had  nothing  to  keep  me  in  Havana,  and  embraced 
the  proposal.     In  less  than  an  hour  I  was  on  board,  chest 

(47) 


48  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

and  hammock,  and  we  slipped  our  moorings  and  ran  out 
past  the  Moro  Castle,  with  a  fine  breeze.  We  were  six 
hands  in  the  forecastle,  two  Portuguese,  three  Spaniards, 
and  an  American.  I  had  the  mid- watch  on  deck.  On 
turning  out  at  seven  bells  the  next  morning,  I  went  on 
deck,  to  take  a  daylight  look  at  the  craft  in  which  I  had 
shipped,  as,  it  being  a  dark  night  when  I  came  on  board, 
I  had  been  able  to  see  but  little  of  her.  I  found  her  a 
remarkably  sharp,  clipper-built  vessel,  evidently  calcu- 
lated to  sail  at  a  great  rate,  and  a  glance  at  the  long, 
tapering  spars,  and  the  immense  spread  of  her  topsails, 
convinced  me  that  she  had  never  been  built  for  a  wine 
drogher. 

''  The  captain  was  an  Englishman,  the  mate  a  Scotch- 
man— which  rather  surprised  me,  as  the  vessel  showed 
Spanish  colors.  They  carried  a  press  of  canvass  from 
the  first,  and  paid  more  attention  to  the  steering  than  is 
usual  among  that  class  of  vessels.  Altogether,  I  felt 
as  though,  if  she  were  a  wine  drogher,  she  had  gotten 
strangely  out  of  place — but,  of  course,  I  never  suspected 
what  was  her  true  business.  But  the  third  day  out  told 
the  whole  story.  On  coming  on  deck  that  morning,  I 
found,  to  my  great  surprise,  some  sixteen  or  seventeen 
men  besides  our  regular  crew  congregated  on  the  topgal- 
lant forecastle,  and  about  the  foremost  among  them  I 
recognized  several  Havana  acquaintances,  who  seemed 
somewhat  surprised  to  see  me  there.  From  them  I  got 
an  inkling  of  what  was  in  the  wind;  but  the  whole 
matter  was  explained  to  me  after  breakfast. 

**  Send  Anton  to  the  wheel,"  was  the  word  passed  to 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  49 

the  forecastle,  and  I  proceeded  aft.  Arrived  there,  the 
captain  and  supercargo  laid  before  me  the  real  purpose 
of  the  voyage — declared  themselves  sorry  to  have  gotten 
me  on  board  under  false  pretences,  but  made  the  want  of 
hands  their  excuse,  and  then  told  me  that  1  would  now 
have  to  go  the  voyage,  and  would  receive  the  same  pay 
as  the  regularly  shipped  hands. 

"  It  appeared  that  we  were  bound  to  the  east  coast  of 
Africa,  up  the  Mozambique  Channel,  for  a  cargo  of  slaves. 
We,  the  crew,  were  to  receive  one  hundred  dollars  advance, 
and  two  dollars  per  man  for  every  slave  landed,  which, 
as  she  had  irons  and  cooking  apparatus  for  eight  hun- 
dred, bade  fair  to  bring  in  no  inconsiderable  sum.  The 
one  hundred  dollars  advance  were  counted  out  to  me,  in 
Spanish  doubloons,  when  my  trick  at  the  wheel  was  out. 

"  Everything  now  took  a  different  turn,  as  regarded 
discipline  on  board.  The  officers  assumed  a  sterner  man- 
ner, and  kept  the  crew  at  regular  man-of-war  rules. 
None  of  the  dilatoriness  of  the  merchant-man  was 
allowed.  Sail  was  made  and  taken  in  expeditiously,  and 
we — there  were  enough  of  us — could  handle  the  craft 
like  a  top.  She  was  a  beauty  to  sail,  and  steered  like  a 
boat,  and  altogether,  was  the  likeliest  vessel  I  ever  set 
foot  on. 

*'But  I  did  not  feel  at  home  on  her.  There  was  a 
reckless  spirit  among  the  crew,  which  did  not  please 
me,  who  was  then  yet  a  young  man,  and  the  imperious- 
ness  of  the  officers  suited  me  still  less.  We  had  been 
but  a  few  days  out,  when  on  occasion  of  a  slight  misunder- 
standing between  two  of  the  hands,  the  captain  suddenly 
4 


60  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

made  his  appearance  in  our  midst,  pistol  in  hand,  and 
gave  the  turbulentlj  disposed  to  understand  that  he  was 
master  of  all  there. 

**  No  fighting,  no  quarreling,  no  knives,  I  won't  have 
it,'  said  he,  '  and  the  first  one  that  gives  me  a  word  of 
insolence,  I'll  shoot  him  as  I  would  a  dog.' 

"(The  crew  cowered  beneath  his  glance — and  he  had 
the  victory.  But  not  until  he  had  carried  his  threat  into 
execution,  did  the  unquiet  spirits  he  had  shipped  entirely 
give  up.  The  occasion  was  not  long  in  coming.  We  had 
dowsed  our  topgallantsails  to  a  squall,  off  the  Cape,  and 
when  it  was  over,  a  hand  had  gone  aloft  to  loose  the 
main.  In  letting  fall  the  sail  he  neglected  to  overhaul 
the  gear,  and  was  half  way  down  the  main  rigging,  when 
the  skipper  ordered  him  aloft  to  do  so.  He  replied  sur- 
lily, that  he  was  no  errand  boy  to  run  aloft,  and  was  still 
coming  down,  when,  quick  as  a  flash,  the  captain  drew  a 
pistol  from  his  bosom,  fired,  and  the  man  fell  dead  upon 
the  deck. 

''  Sheet  home  that  sail,'  shouted  the  mate  to  the  rest. 
When  it  was  hoisted,  all  hands  were  called  aft. 

*'  I  want  you  to  know  that  I  am  master  here,  and  will 
stand  no  nonsense.  Not  a  whimper,  not  a  surly  look, 
from  one  of  you.  If  any  of  you  don't  feel  perfectly  satis- 
fied at  the  fate  of  that  dog,  I've  another  ball,  and  the 
will  to  let  him  have  it.  I  ask  no  extraordinary  service,  but 
when  I  say  go,  you  must,  if  I  shoot  every  mother's  son  of 
you.  Now  go  forward,  and  a  couple  of  you  throw  that 
carcass  overboard.' 

'*  This  was  the  address  of  the  skipper,  and  I  tell  you 


THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL.  51 

boys,  there's  very  little  comfort  in  sailing  with  a  man 
who  cares  as  little  about  life  as  he  did,  or  as  the  general 
run  of  slaving  captains  do.  You  don't  know  what 
minute  you're  going  to  loose  the  number  of  your  mess. 

"  Well,  we  rounded  the  Cape,  ran  up  the  Mozambique, 
and  made  Delagoa  Bay,  where  was  the  factory  to  which 
we  were  consigned.  A  few  days  before  making  the  land, 
we  laid  our  slave  deck,  rigged  the  irons,  and  fixed  up  the 
cooking  apparatus.  The  officers  were  now  at  the  mast- 
head continually,  keeping  a  look  out  for  sails,  as  men-of- 
war  are  often  cruising  in  those  latitudes.  We  made 
Delagoa  Bay  without  an  accident,  ran  up  the  river  which 
here  empties  its  waters  into  the  sea,  and  anchored.  It 
took  two  days  and  nights  to  get  the  negroes  on  board, 
when  word  being  brought  by  a  look-out  stationed  in  the 
offing,  that  the  coast  was  clear,  we  spread  every  sail  to 
the  breeze,  and  soon  left  the  coast  behind  us.  We  had 
now  some  disagreeable  work  to  do.  Eight  hundred 
slaves  were  to  be  taken  care  of,  and  watched,  and  all  our 
force  was  needed  to  do  the  work  thoroughly.  Two  men, 
well  armed,  kept  guard  night  and  day,  at  each  hatch- 
way, which  we  were  obliged  to  keep  open,  to  prevent  the 
miserable  creatures  in  the  hold  from  being  entirely  suf- 
focated. The  slaves  were  fed  once  a  day,  some  of  the 
most  quiet  of  them  being  cast  loose  at  such  times,  and 
employed  to  serve  out  the  miserable  pittance  of  boiled 
rice,  or  beans,  and  water,  on  which  they  subsisted.  Twice 
daily,  small  portions  of  them  were  brought  upon  deck, 
to  get  a  swallow  of  the  fresh  air,  being  carefully  guarded 
meanwhile.    But  the  hold,  boys,  oh,  it  was  horrible.    The 


52  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

stencil  was  enough  to  knock  one  down.  And  the  constant 
moaning,  and  the  pitiful  looks  of  the  poor  wretches,  as 
they  reclined,  one  on  the  top  of  the  other's  legs'  (so  closely 
they  were  stowed) ,  it  haunted  me  for  many  a  day  after- 
wards. 

*'  We  had  rounded  the  Cape  once  more,  and  were  nearly 
abreast  of  St.  Helena,  when  one  morning  the  second 
mate,  at  the  masthead,  sung  out  sail-ho!  We  had,  some 
days  before  this,  lashed  our  topsail-sheets  to  the  yard- 
arms,  and  racked  the  topsail  halyards,  to  prevent  the 
possibility  of  shortening  sail,  should  we  want  to,  and  now 
clapped  on  every  additional  rag  that  could  help  along  the 
least,  as  just  here  was  the  most  dangerous  spot  in  all  the 
passage,  being  a  portion  of  the  Atlantic  very  much  fre- 
quented by  English  cruisers. 

"  The  sail  we  had  sighted  had  evidently  also  seen  us 
and  altered  his  course  for  us,  as,  although  we  had  hauled 
upon  a  wind  as  soon  as  we  saw  him,  he  still  continued  in 
sight,  and,  in  fact,  rather  gained  upon  us.  The  captain 
walked  the  deck  uneasily,  every  few  minutes  hailing  the 
masthead,  to  know  if  there  was  any  alteration  in  his 
appearance. 

"  He  holds  a  better  breeze  than  we  do,  and  we'll  have 
to  try  him,  upon  another  tack.' 

''  We  did  try  him  upon  every  tack — now  going  straight 
before  the  wind,  now  with  it  abeam,  and  again  close- 
hauled.  Still  he  gained  upon  us,  slowly,  but  surely,  and 
by  dark  his  topsails  were  visible  off  deck.  A  thorough 
trial  had  convinced  the  captain,  that  with  the  wind  about 
two  points  free  was  our  best  chance,  and  accordingly  we 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  53 

swept  along  under  a  terrible  press  of  canvass,  the  very 
best  helmsmen,  only,  being  allowed  to  take  the  wheel, 
and  the  captain  continually  looking  into  the  compass,  to 
see  that  she  was  kept  straight.  The  wind  was  fresh,  and 
the  little  craft  staggered  like  a  drunken  man,  under  the 
crowd  of  sail  which  was  forcing  her  along.  Everything 
was  new  and  good,  and  now,  if  ever,  was  the  time  to  try 
what  virtue  there  was  in  hemp.  Therefore,  '  what  she 
can't  carry  let  her  drag,'  was  the  word. 

"  All  night  we  flew  on,  the  wind  roaring  fiercely  through 
the  rigging,  while  the  timbers  groaned  in  melancholy 
cadence.  We  made  good  headway,  and  strong  hopes 
were  entertained  that  by  daylight  we  should  have  left 
the  foe  behind.  Hopes  which  were  however,  to  be  dis- 
appointed, for  as  soon  as  the  sun  rose  above  the  horizon, 
we  saw  the  same  topsails,  no  nearer,  but  no  farther  off 
either.  All  day,  all  night,  and  all  next  day,  this  tedious 
chase  continued,  we  straining  every  nerve  to  escape,  but 
seeming  bound  to  the  accursed  vessel  astern,  whose  posi- 
tion we  could  not  change  the  least.  The  captain  had 
been  getting  more  and  more  impatient,  at  being  thrown 
so  far  out  of  his  direct  track,  and  had  we  been  thoroughly 
armed,  would,  no  doubt,  have  turned  upon  our  pursuer, 
and  then  and  there  decided  the  fate  of  the  vessel,  by 
force  of  arms. 

"As  it  was,  a  bright  idea  struck  him.  We  had  sighted, 
on  the  last  evening,  two  other  vessels,  probably  whale 
ships,  from  their  rigs,  sailing  leisurely  along  under  short 
canvass.  The  presence  of  these,  it  was  determined  to 
bring  in  to  our  advantage.     A  large  cask  was  fitted  with 


64  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL 

some  iron  in  the  bottom,  and  a  mast  secured  in  the  top 
head.  To  the  head  of  this  mast  was  made  fast  a  large 
lantern,  with  reflectors,  which  would  throw  out  a  bright 
light,  visible  at  a  great  distance.  The  night  proved 
exceedingly  dark,  which  was  favorable  to  the  success  of 
our  plan.  About  ten  o'clock,  every  light  in  the  ship  was 
carefully  extinguished,  even  the  binnacle  light,  which 
illuminates  the  face  of  the  compass,  being  shaded.  The 
lantern  being  then  lighted,  and  securely  closed,  to  keep 
the  water  from  it,  the  cask  and  mast  were  carefully  low- 
ered over  the  side,  when  it  nicely  balanced.  Having 
watched  it  for  a  while  to  see  that  it  was  perfectly  safe, 
we  quickly  dowsed  all  the  light  sails,  securing  them,  how- 
ever, only  temporarily,  ready  to  be  cast  loose  at  a  mo- 
ment's warning,  then  double  reefed  the  topsails,  whaler 
fashion,  and  putting  her  about,  on  the  other  tack,  steered 
boldly  down  upon  our  pursuer. 

"  Sailing  toward  him,  it  took  us  but  a  short  time  to 
reach  him.  He  was  coming  at  a  fearful  rate;  every 
stitch  of  canvass  set,  and  the  water  rushing  and  roaring 
about  his  bows  like  a  young  Niagara.  As  she  pitched, 
the  great  waves  would  make  a  clean  breach  over  her  head, 
and  we  could  hear  them,  as  we  got  closer,  sweeping  fore 
and  aft,  and  pouring  out  at  the  stem  poi*ts.  She  was  one 
of  the  little  ten  gun  brigs,  of  which  Britishers  are  so 
fond,  and  which  they  have  expressively  named  '  bathing 
machines,'  on  account  of  their  wetness. 

As  the  two  vessels  neared  each  other,  all  hands  were 
ordered  to  keep  perfect  silence  and  to  stow  themselves 
away  out  of  sight,  but  ready  for  any  emergency.     It  was 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  55 

an  anxious  time,  boys,  as  we  lay  under  the  guns  of  our 
enemy,  nearing  her,  until  she  was  not  more  than  half 
pistol-shot  oflp.  The  brig  had  yawed  a  little  off  her 
regular  course  as  we  approached  her,  with  the  evident 
intention  of  speaking  us.  We  favored  the  movement 
by  making  two  or  three  broad  sheers  toward  her.  Our 
skipper  leaned  carelessly  against  the  mainshrouds,  speak- 
ing-trumpet in  hand,  ready  to  answer  his  hail.  The 
hatches  had  been  carefully  closed  over  the  poor  darkies, 
in  order  that  no  chance  cry  or  groan  should  awaken  the 
suspicions  of  the  enemy.  On,  on,  we  came,  until  just  as 
the  bows  of  the  two  ships  were  in  line. 

"  Ship  a-hoy !'  was  hailed  from  the  brig.  It  was  so 
dark  that  they  could  not  distinguish  even  the  rig  of  our 
vessel. 

-  HiUo ! 

"  Did  you  pass  a  vessel  in  the  early  part  of  the  night, 
going  along  under  a  press  of  canvass  ? 

"Ya-as  r  was  answered,  with  an  unmistakable  Yankee 
drawl,  by  our  skipper.  'Yonder's  her  light,  a  little  on 
your  starboard  bow,  I  reckon,'  added  he. 

"  Yes,  I  know,  we've  been  in  chase  of  her  for  three 
days,  and,  blast  her,  we're  too  much  for  her — we're  gain- 
ing on  her  rapidly — she's  a  slaver. 

"  Du  tell — a  slaver !  well,  captain  she's  an  almighty 
smart  craft.  Beckon  you'll  have  to  look  sharp  to  catch 
her.' 

By  this  time  she  was  already  beyond  speaking-dis- 
tance, the  last  words  we  heard  being,  'infernal  lazy 
Yankee,'  in  answer,  probably,  to  our  skipper's  last  speech. 


56  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

and  under  the  supposition  that  ours  was  one  of  the  Yan- 
kee whale  ships. 

*'  All  this  passed  much  quicker,  boys,  than  I  can  tell 
it  to  you.  When  we  could  no  longer  hear  the  rush  of 
her  bows  through  the  water,  we  let  our  craft  go  a  good 
rapfull — and  standing  on  for  half  an  hour  longer,  silently 
set  every  stitch  of  canvas  she  could  possibly  bear,  and 
putting  her  square  before  it,  let  her  rip  for  the  Brazils. 

''  Our  scheme  succeeded  to  admiration.  When  the  sun 
rose,  the  British  brig  was  nowhere  to  be  seen,  and  I 
needn't  say,  that  if  carrying  on  sail  would  keep  us  clear 
of  him,  that  was  not  wanting.  You  talk  about  packet 
ships,  lads,  but  if  you  want  your  hair  to  stand  on  end, 
take  a  slaver  in  a  chase,  or  when  she  has  just  escaped 
one.  The  little  craft  was  fairly  driven  through  the 
waves.  There  was  no  living  forward.  Every  sea  she 
took,  came  bodily  over  the  bows,  and  went  out  at  the 
stern  ports.  She  quivered  like  an  aspen  under  the  pres- 
sure of  her  enormous  topsails,  and  the  tall  masts  leaned 
away  to  leeward,  as  though  every  minute  ready  to  go 
over  the  side. 

"  Already  before  we  sighted  the  Britisher,  our  cargo 
had  begun  to  die  off,  and  now  every  morning  watch  we 
were  obliged  to  go  below,  and  unlinking  the  dead  from 
the  living,  drag  the  emaciated  corpses  upon  deck,  and 
toss  them  over  to  leeward.  It's  horrid  work,  this  burying 
dead  by  the  wholesale.  Not  all  the  money  in  the  world 
would  hire  me  to  take  another  turn  at  it. 

"  As  we  neared  the  Brazilian  coast,  a  sharper  look-out 
than  common  was  kept  by  the  officers,  who  took  regular 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  57 

turns  at  the  masthead.  Two  days  before  we  made  the 
land,  a  sail  hove  in  sight.  We  stood  toward  it,  and  soon 
made  it  out  to  be  a  little  schooner-boat,  sent  out  to  warn 
us  of  danger,  and  direct  us  to  a  part  of  the  coast  that 
was  clear.  Taking  on  board  one  of  the  owners,  who  had 
come  out  in  this  boat,  we  altered  our  course  a  little,  and 
on  the  second  morning  thereafter,  made  the  land,  and  ran 
safely  into  a  little  inlet  a  few  miles  south  of  Porto  Seguro. 
Dropping  anchor  close  in  shore,  we  were  directly  sur- 
rounded by  boats,  and  in  ^ye  hours  after  coming  in,  had 
landed  six  hundred  and  eighty-five  negroes,  all  that  were 
left  out  of  eight  hundred  and  two,  one  hundred  and 
seventeen  having  died  on  the  passage.  No  sooner  was 
the  last  slave  out  of  the  brig  than  we  were  called  aft, 
paid  off,  and  the  choice  given  us  to  have  our  passage  paid 
to  Eio,  or  to  be  paid  two  dollars  and  a  half  per  day,  to 
take  the  vessel  around  there,  as  soon  as  the  slave  gear 
was  taken  out  of  her. 

*'  For  my  part,  I  had  had  enough  of  slaving,  and  went 
ashore,  with  one  thousand  three  hundred  and  seventy 
dollars,  in  doubloons,  in  my  belt,  determined  never  to  be 
caught  in  a  vessel  out  of  Havana  again." 

Seven  bells  struck  as  old  Anton  finished  his  yarn,  and 
we  started  aft  to  pump  ship,  which  being  done,  and  eight 
bells  struck,  we  were  glad  to  turn  into  our  warm  bunks. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A  Gale  off  Cape  Clear — ^Nearly  Ashore — Liverpool — What  a 
Sailor  Sees  of  it. 

We  had  a  tedious  passage,  and  were  already  forty- 
eight  days  out,  when  we  sighted  Cape  Clear.  It  had 
been  blowing  quite  heavily  for  several  days,  but  the  wind 
being  only  a  little  forward  of  the  beam,  we  had  made 
good  progress,  even  under  the  short  canvass  we  dared  to 
show  to  it.  For  a  cotton  loaded  ship  is  generally  crank, 
and  will  not  bear  much  carrying  on  sail. 

Our  barque  was  stiffer  than  common,  on  account  of 
having  an  unusual  quantity  of  ballast  in,  under  the  cot- 
ton. And  to  this  fortunate  circumstance  we,  in  all  prob- 
ability, now  owed  our  lives  and  the  safety  of  the  ship. 

We  had  been  going  along  all  day  under  close-reefed 
topsails  and  reefed  foresail,  but  as  the  wind  freshened 
toward  night,  and  as  besides,  the  old  man  had  not  had 
an  observation  for  some  days,  it  was  judged  advisable  to 
take  in  the  foretopsail  and  foresail,  and  lie  to  all  night. 
Before  doing  so,  we  got  a  cast  of  the  deep  sea  lead,  and 
found  bottom  in  about  one  hundred  fathoms,  which  the 
skipper  thought  would  give  us  a  good  offing. 
C58) 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  59 

The  foresail  was  furled  first,  and  we  were  just  coming 
down  off  the  foretopsail  yard  after  having  snugly  stowed 
that  sail,  when  casting  a  look  around,  at  the  scud  flying 
wildly  past  at  the  mercy  of  the  gale,  one  of  the  seamen, 
an  unusually  sharp-sighted  fellow,  descried  a  light  upon 
the  lee  bow. 

The  mate  was  aloft  instantly,  to  convince  himself  that 
we  were  not  deceived.  Sure  enough,  there  was  the  light, 
Cape  Clear  Light,  as  we  all  knew  it  to  be,  plainly  visible, 
at  a  distance  of  not  more  than  twelve  or  thirteen  miles, 
dead  under  our  lee,  too. 

We  had  now  our  choice  before  us,  either  to  turn  about 
before  the  wind,  and  run  around  the  southern  point  of 
Ireland,  with  a  prospect  of  having  to  beat  all  the  way 
back  again,  perhaps  a  two  weeks'  piece  of  work,  or  to 
carry  on  sail,  and  force  her  past  the  point,  when  we 
would  have  a  fair  wind  into  Liverpool,  and  be  safely 
moored  in  the  Docks  in  thirty-six  hours. 

The  captain  and  mate  consulted  for  a  few  minutes, 
when  orders  were  given  to  loose  the  foretopsail  and  turn 
a  reef  out,  shake  a  reef  out  of  the  maintopsail,  set  the 
reefed  mainsail,  and  foresail,  and  the  storm  mizzen. 

**  She  must  weather  that  light,  boys,"  said  the  old 
man,  coming  forward  to  give  us  a  pull  at  the  foretopsail 
sheets,  "  she  must  weather  it,  if  we  give  her  whole  top- 
sails." 

We  put  the  sail  on  her,  and  as  she  filled,  and  gathered 
headway  through  the  sea,  it  seemed  as  though  every 
stick  must  go  out  of  her,  so  heavily  did  everything 
appear  strained.     The  vessel  lay  fairly  over  on  her  side, 


60  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

and  the  gale  scarcely  allowed  her  to  lift  her  head  at  all. 
Her  motion  was  that  of  a  continual  sending  plunge,  as 
though  going  deeper  and  deeper  all  the  time.  The  vast 
billows  rolled  under  her,  and  as  she  slid  down  into  the 
trough  of  the  seas,  it  seemed  sometimes  as  though  she 
were  never  to  stop. 

The  light,  when  we  made  it,  was  about  four  points  on 
the  lee  bow,  that  is  to  say,  it  bore  from  us  in  a  direction 
about  forty-five  degrees  from  the  course  the  vessel  was 
lying.  It  was,  at  the  same  time,  full  twelve  miles  off, 
and  it  was  certain,  that  with  the  drift  we  would  inevit- 
ably make,  in  so  crank  a  vessel,  if  we  weathered  it  at  all, 
it  would  be  rather  close  sailing. 

The  best  helmsman  was  sent  to  the  wheel,  and  all 
hands  remained  upon  deck  during  the  dogwatch,  keeping 
the  bearings  of  the  light,  and  endeavoring  to  see  if  we 
altered  its  place  any.  Our  progress,  owing  to  the  exceed- 
ingly heavy  sea,  was  but  slow,  and  seemed  nearly  as  much 
to  leeward  as  ahead.  After  an  hour's  sailing  the  light 
was  a  little  farther  aft,  perhaps  a  point,  but  it  was  also 
much  nearer,  showing  that  we  were  drifting  very  fast 
down  upon  it. 

At  eight  bells,  we  turned  a  reef  out  %f  the  foresail, 
and  out  of  the  foretopsail,  and  under  the  additional  impe- 
tus given  her  by  this  increase  of  sail,  she  trembled  in 
every  beam  and  timber,  and  in  the  forecastle  the  groan- 
ing and  creeking  of  the  poor  hull,  as  she  was  tossed  from 
sea  to  sea,  made  an  unearthly  din,  which  rendered  sleep- 
ing, and  even  talking  out  of  the  question.  It  seemed  as 
though  the  good  ship  knew  her  danger  and  feared  it. 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  61 

No  one  thought  of  turning  in.  The  excitement  was 
too  great — and  even  had  it  not  been  so,  the  ship  was 
thrown  about  so  violently,  as  to  make  lying  down  in  a 
bunk  almost  a  matter  of  impossibility.  We  who  had  the 
watch  below,  laid  down  on  the  chests,  to  leeward,  and 
talked  over  the  chances,  occasionally  hearing  from  the 
deck,  how  matters  were  going  on. 

At  ten  o'clock  the  light  was  still  two  points  before  the 
beam,  and  now  its  glare  seemed  fearfully  plain,  almost 
casting  a  shadow  upon  our  deck.  The  gale  seemed  increas- 
ing in  fury,  the  scud  flew  wildly  across  the  moon,  now 
obscuring,  now  revealing  her  disk ;  and  the  storm-wind 
shrieked  through  the  strained  cordage,  while  ever,  as  the 
vessel  rose  upon  a  billow,  the  light  looked  down  upon  us, 
cold  and  clear,  a  silent  monitor  of  the  danger  which 
darkness  hid  from  our  sight. 

Eleven  o'clock  came,  and  the  light,  which  looked  as 
though  almost  suspended  over  our  heads,  seeming  occa- 
sionally to  be  almost  within  reach,  as  a  passing  cloud 
reflected  its  glare,  was  still  forward  of  the  beam. 

Even  the  captain  and  mate  now  seemed  doubtful 
of  the  result;  and  we  of  the  forecastle  silently  went 
down  and  lashed  up  our  chests,  ready  to  go  ashore.  It 
was  curious  to  observe  the  various  ways  in  which  our 
position  afiected  difierent  individuals  of  the  crew.  Two 
or  three,  before  lashing  up  their  chests,  took  out  and  put 
on  their  best  clothing,  looking  strangely  out  of  place,  in 
their  white  shirts  and  gay  blue  jackets,  amid  so  wild  a 
scene.  One  old  tar  went  about  the  forecastle,  4)icking  up 
pots  and  pans  and  other  articles,  which  had  been  thrown 


62  THE    MERCHANT     VESSEL. 

down  by  tlie  violent  motion  of  the  ship,  placing  everything 
snugly  in  the  lockers,  and  making  our  rough  home  tidy, 
perhaps,  preparing  thus  for  the  long  Sabbath  which 
seemed  about  to  dawn,  thought  I.  Some  looked  them- 
selves out  pieces  of  heavy  plank,  to  which  they  might 
lash  themselves,  to  encounter  the  coming  struggle  with 
the  breakers;  while  one  or  two  sat  apart,  communing  with 
themselves  or  with  their  God. 

Twelve  o'clock  came.  The  light  was  now  almost  abeam, 
but  we  seemed  to  be  drifting  upon  it  too  fast  for  escape. 

"  Unless  the  wind  favors  us,  lads,  another  half  hour 
will  find  us  in  the  breakers,"  said  the  skipper  who  had 
come  forward,  perhaps  to  take  a  last  look  at  his  crew. 

"  Well,  sir,  we've  done  all  that  in  us  lay — and  the 
rest  is  with  God,"  said  an  old  tar,  resignedly.  ''  It's  a 
windy  night,  and  if  the  old  craft  once  gets  into  the 
breakers,  a  very  few  minutes  will  make  an  end  of  all." 

Now  the  wind  favors  us  a  little. 

"Luff!  luff  luff!  you  may!"  shouts  the  captain, 
cheerily,  as  a  fresh  blast  strikes  us  from  abeam. 

"  There  she  points  her  head  to  windward — full  sails — 
keep  full — well,  there's  two  whole  points  gained,  and 
another  half  point  will  clear  us." 

Hope  once  more  revived  in  our  bosoms.  The  wind  was 
evidently  hauling,  being  probably  influenced  by  the  land, 
which  could  not  now  have  been  more  than  half  a  mile 
distant. 

We  could  distinguish  the  dull,  deafening  roar  of  the 
surf,  as  it  broke  upon  the  crags  which  surround  the  little 
islet  upon  which  stands  the  lighthouse.     We  could  already 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  63 

feel  the  tremendous  sweep  of  the  sea  toward  the'  rocks. 
We  were  on  the  edge  of  the  fatal  ground-swell,  from 
which,  if  we  once  got  in  it,  no  power  on  earth  could  bring 
us  out  again.  It  was  in  our  utmost  need  that  this  unex- 
pected favoring  slant  occurred.  Twenty  minutes  more 
would  have  carried  us  into  the  undertow,  and  then  not 
all  the  breezes  in  the  world  could  have  saved  our  gallant 
ship  or  her  crew.     But 

"  There's  a  sweet  little  cherub  that  sits  up  aloft 
That  looks  out  for  the  life  of  poor  Jack.^' 

The  wind  continued  hauling,  and  also  moderated  fast, 
as  we  drew  more  under  the  land,  until  by  half  past  two 
we  were  steering  our  course  up  channel,  with  whole  top- 
sails set.  The  sun  rose  next  morning  bright  and  clear, 
the  gale  of  the  preceding  night  had  calmed  down  to  a 
gentle  breeze,  the  sea  had  died  away,  and  we  were  rolling 
along  quietly  before  the  wind,  with  the  *'  Ould  Head  of 
Kinsale"  on  our  larboard  bow.-' 

On  the  evening  of  the  next  day  we  came  to  anchor  in 
the  Mersey,  the  river  upon  which  Liverpool  lies.  The 
tide  runs  very  rapidly  here,  and  it  became  necessary  to 
steer  our  vessel,  even  as  she  was  lying  at  anchor,  to  keep 

^  A  gale  of  wind,  on  soundings,  that  is,  near  the  land,  where 
the  water  is  from  twenty  to  forty  fathoms  deep,  raises  very 
quickly,  an  extemely  disagreeable  chop-sea,  much  worse  than 
would  have  happened  on  the  broad  ocean.  But  on  the  other 
hand,  in  a  very  few  hours  after  the  gale  has  moderated,  the 
worst  sea  on  soundings  will  smooth  down,  while  upon  the 
wide  Atlantic,  the  heavy  ground-swell  remains  for  days.  Any 
one  who  has  ever  smoothed  the  water  in  a  tub  by  laying  his 
flat  hands  upon  it,  will  know  how  to  account  for  this. 


64  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

her  from  sheering  about,  and  breaking  her  ground.  And 
I  could  truly  say  that  the  very  worst  trick  at  the  wheel 
I  had,  the  whole  of  that  voyage,  was  while  the  old  craft 
was  safely  moored  in  the  Mersey. 

The  next  morning  at  high  tide  we  hauled  into  the 
docks.  These  docks,  which  are  the  boast  of  Liverpool, 
are  enormous  basins,  capable,  some  of  them,  of  holding 
several  hundred  vessels,  and  constructed  of  solid  masonry. 
As  an  evidence  of  the  triumph  of  human  skill  and  enter- 
prise, over  the  obstacles  presented  by  nature,  these  mas- 
sive works  can  not  be  too  highly  praised.  Without  them, 
Liverpool  would  be  a  third  rate  shipping  port.  With 
them,  it  is  one  of  the  principal  commercial  emporiums 
of  the  world. 

The  docks  are  rendered  necessary  here,  by  the  fact 
that  the  extraordinary  rise  and  fall  of  the  tide,  (twenty- 
seven  feet  being  the  mean  hight)  would  make  it  impos- 
sible for  vessels  to  lie  at  wharves,  as  they  do  in  all  the 
large  American  seaports.  It  becomes  necessary,  to  facili- 
tate the  labor  of  loading  and  unloading,  to  secure  the 
vessels  in  such  a  manner  that  the  tides  shall  not  affect 
them.  This  is  done  by  the  docks.  These  are  fitted  with 
immense  flood-gates,  of  massive  strength,  which  are 
opened  only  at  high  tide,  when  the  water  is  at  its  highest. 
At  this  time,  all  vessels  going  out,  haul  out,  and  next, 
vessels  inward  bound,  haul  in,  the  gates  are  closed,  and 
the  ships  ride  securely  in  a  large  artificial  basin,  the  sur- 
face of  which  is,  at  low  tide,  nearly  thirty  feet  above  the 
surface  of  the  river. 

Of  course,  where  a  number  of  vessels  are   crowded 


THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL.  65 

together  in  a  dock  from  which  there  can  be  no  exit, 
except  at  certain  stated  intervals,  it  becomes  imperiously 
necessary  to  take  all  proper  precautions  against  accidents 
by  fire.  Accordingly,  the  use  of  fire  or  light  of  any  kind 
is  strictly  prohibited  within  the  dock  walls.  Officers, 
who  search  the  ship  thoroughly,  take  into  their  temporary 
possession  all  matches  and  other  inflammable  material.  It 
is  a  fineable  ofiense  to  be  caught  smoking  on  board  ship, 
and  to  do  away  with  the  necessity  of  cooking,  all  hands 
are  boarded  ashore  at  the  expense  of  the  vessel. 

Watchmen  are  at  all  times,  day  and  night,  prowling 
about  to  detect  any  breaches  of  the  rules  regarding  fire 
or  light,  and  a  heavy  fine  to  the  ship,  and  imprisonment 
to  the  individual,  is  the  consequence  of  detection. 

The  day  after  our  arrival,  a  gang  of  stevedores  came 
on  board  to  unload  the  cotton.  To  show  how  tightly  it 
hand  been  screwed  in  at  Mobile  Bay,  it  is  only  necessary 
to  say  that  it  took  fifteen  men  and  two  tackles  an  entire 
hour  to  break  out  six  bales  in  the  tier  next  the  main 
hatchway. 

While  the  cotton  was  going  out,  we,  the  crew,  were 
engaged  in  painting  the  vessel  outside,  and  refitting 
sundry  portions  of  her  rigging,  which  required  it. 

I  do  not  know  what  impressions  Liverpool  may  make 
upon  the  landsman  traveler.  A  sailor,  in  describing  it, 
would  most  probably  say  that  the  places  most  worthy  of 
a  visit,  or  the  lions,  are  the  Docks,  Nelson's  Monument, 
the  Eoyal  Exchange,  and  the  New  Sailors'  Home — that 
its  chief  places  of  amusement  are  the  singing  houses  and 
the  donkey  races,  and  that  the  great  bulk  of  the  inhabi- 
5 


66  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

tants  is  about  equally  divided  into  three  classes,  police- 
men, tailors,  and  fishwomen. 

This  is,  of  course,  what  might  be  styled  rather  a  salt 
water  view  of  England's  great  commercial  emporium — 
yet,  what  but  a  one-sided  view  does  the  common  sailor 
get  of  any  strange  place  he  may  visit.  He  has  no  oppor- 
tunity for  seeing  anything  more  than  just  that  portion  of 
the  outside  which  happens  to  be  turned  toward  him. 

Jack  works  hard  all  day,  and  after  supper  goes  to  a 
singing  house,  where  he  may  sit  at  one  of  a  number  of 
tables,  with  a  shipmate  or  two,  smoke  his  penn'orth  of 
'backy,  drink  his  pot  of  'alf-and-'alf,  and  listen  to  some 
good,  bad,  and  indifferent  singing.  These  free  concerb 
rooms,  as  they  are  called,  are  the  principal  charms  of 
Liverpool,  to  sailors.  Here  they  congregate  during  the 
long  winter  evenings,  enjoying  themselves,  quietly,  soberly, 
and  at  but  little  expense. 

The  tailors'  shops  are  the  places  of  resort  next  in 
importance  to  singing  houses.  No  sooner  has  your  ship 
entered  the  dock  gates,  than  she  is  besieged  on  all  sides 
by  an  army  of  tailors,  each  anxious  to  secure  the  custom 
of  the  crew,  and  willing  to  propitiate  the  captain,  by  the 
sacrifice  of  a  pea-jacket  or  overcoat,  or,  if  necessary,  of 
an  entire  suit. 

And  in  truth,  not  a  few  captains  of  American  mer- 
chant vessels  find  it  to  their  interest  to  make  their  tailors 
the  bankers  of  the  crew,  thus  forcing  the  men  to  trade 
with  a  certain  individual,  and  to  take  from  him  certain 
amounts  of  his  goods,  in  order  to  obtain  certain  other 
amounts  of  cash.     Thus,  a  captain  says  to  his  crew  who 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  67 

ask  him  for  a  little  money  on  Saturday  night — ''  Go  to 
Mr.  Snip,  I  have  left  your  money  there." 

Off  post  Tom,  Dick,  and  Harry,  to  Mr.  Snip's  estab- 
lishment, in  Church  street,  or  wherever  it  may  be,  where 

they  are  informed  that  Captain has  left  no  money 

for  his  crew,  but  simply  opened  a  credit  for  them,  for 
clothing — hut  if  the  men  want  to  get  a  suit  of  clothes 
each,  Mr.  Snip  has  no  objection  in  the  world  to  putting 
them  into  the  bill  at  five  dollars  more  than  they  will  cost, 
and  paying  the  balance,  minus  a  percentage,  over  to  Tom, 
Dick,  or  Harry. 

And  so  Jack  Tar  is  chiseled,  and  earns  himself  the 
name  of  spendthrift,  by  paying  for  an  accommodation^ 
while  the  gentlemanly  captain,  by  simply  keeping  his 
hands  in  his  pockets,  has  made  a  suit  of  clothes.  This 
is  a  part  of  a  sea-side  view  of  Liverpool. 

''Well,  but,"  says  the  landsman, ''  I  would  take  neither 
clothes  nor  money,  rather  than  be  cheated  so  bare- 
facedly." This  is  all  very  good,  and  resolutions  to  that 
effect  are  made  by  nearly  every  American  ship's  crew 
that  goes  into  Liverpool  Docks ;  and  broken  as  often  as 
made.  One  must  have  money  in  Liverpool,  and  the 
number  of  sailors  who  take  money  there  or,  in  fact  any- 
where else,  with  them,  is  very  small.  And  one  must 
have  clothes.  And  Liverpool,  with  all  the  cheat  and 
cabbage  of  tailor  and  captain,  is  a  place  where  seamens' 
clothing  can  be  obtained  at  fair  rates,  and  of  excellent 
quality.  So  that  Jack,  after  working  himself  up  to  a 
state  of  most  desperate  stubbornness,  and  swearing  fear- 
ful oaths  that  he  will  not  he  cheated,  quietly  walks  up, 


68  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

and  allows  himself  to  be  made  cabbage  of  in  the  most 
approved  style.  And  then  he  is  called  a  spendthrift,  and 
a  vagabond  fellow,  and  the  tailor,  who  pocketed  a  per- 
centage on  his  hard  earned  five  dollars  on  Saturday 
night,  on  Sabbath  morning  points  him  out  to  his  children 
as  an  object  of  disgust  and  contempt.  This  it  is  to  be  a 
sailor. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Depaetuee  from  Liverpool — ^Passengers — Their  mode  of  Life 
on  Board  Ship — Philadelphia — Ship  for  London — Seamens* 
Protection. 

American  vessels  generally  carry  away  from  Liverpool, 
as  return  cargo,  railroad  iron,  cotton  prints,  crockery, 
soda,  etc.,  and  passengers.  This  was  our  cargo.  No 
sooner  was  our  cotton  and  ballast  out,  than  we  began  to 
take  in  our  return  cargo  of  railroad  iron,  and  crates  of 
crockery  ware.  With  this,  and  a  great  number  of  water 
casks,  to  supply  the  passengers  with  drinking  water,  the 
lower  hold  was  filled.  The  between  decks,  or  steerage, 
was  then  fitted  up  with  two  rows  of  hastily  constructed 
berths,  and  we  were  ready  to  take  our  departure. 

We  were  to  take  one  hundred  and  fifty  passengers, 
who  came  on  board  the  morning  on  which  we  went  out 
of  dock.  They  were  all  Irish,  and  a  tolerably  rough- 
looking  set,  but  withal,  having  about  them  that  thorough- 
going Irish  characteristic  of  being  ready  to  lend  a  helping 
hand  wherever  there  was  work  going  on. 

We  lay  over  night  in  the  river,  as  the  wind  was  dead 
ahead  to  go  out.    Next  morning,  when  we  were  about  to 


70  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

weigh  anchor,  the  windlass  was  manned  for  us  by  a  party 
of  passengers,  who  made  but  one  demand,  viz:  to  sing 
for  them  some  sailor  songs.  Accordingly  our  chanty- 
man  was  called  for. 

Said  he,  *'  now,  just  wait,  I'll  set  all  the  men  and 
women  crying  before  you  know  it." 

He  struck  up  to  rather  a  slow  and  plaintive  tune,  an 
old  capstan  song,  which  begins  as  follows: 

a  We^re  going  away  from  friends  and  home, 
Chorus — Oh  sailors  where  are  you  bound  to, 
We're  going  away  to  hunt  for  gold, 
Chorus — Across  the  hriny  ocean. 

Father  and  mother  say  good-bye, 
Chorus — Sailors  where  are  you  bound  to. 

Oh  sisters,  brothers,  don't  you  cry, 
Chorus — Across  the  briny  ocean/' 

They  had  come  up  on  deck  laughing  and  talking,  but 
the  first  two  stanzas  of  this  plaintive  old  song  had  not 
been  sung,  when  all  the  women  had  their  aprons  to  their 
eyes,  and  the  men  were  not  long  in  following  suit,  the 
fellows  who  had  manned  the  windlass,  dropping  the 
brakes,  and  sobbing  like  children.  It  was  rather  cruel 
sport,  I  thought,  yet  I  would  scarcely  have  believed  that 
they  would  have  been  so  easily  afibcted. 

"We  had  to  pay  for  our  fun,  by  heaving  the  anchor  up 
ourselves,  and  were  glad  to  start  up  a  more  cheerful  tune, 
to  win  Paddy  back  to  his  usual  bright  spirits. 

For  the  first  week  out,  it  being  late  in  the  fall,  we 
experienced  rough  weather,  and  our  passengers  sufi*ered 
dreadfully  with  sea-sickness.  Living  in  a  crowded  and 
miserably  dirty  hole,  the  stench  arising  from  which  was 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  71 

enough  to  make  any  one  sick,  half  frightened  out  of  their 
wits  at  what  they  supposed  to  be  the  imminently  dangerous 
situation  of  the  vessel,  it  was  a  wonder  that  many  of 
them  did  not  die. 

For  eight  or  ten  days  they  showed  themselves  but  little 
on  deck,  but  lay  in  their  berths  day  and  night,  mutter- 
ing prayers  for  a  safe  deliverance  from  the  dangers  of 
the  sea.  But  little  cooking  was  done  by  them,  and  their 
meager  allowance  was  mostly  wasted  or  thrown  away. 
And  upon  a  return  of  fine  weather,  men  who,  when  we 
left  port,  were  stout  and  hearty,  came  up,  looking  as 
though  just  arisen  from  a  long  sick  bed. 

Once  cured  of  their  sickness,  they  grew  ravenously 
hungry,  and  besieged  their  scantily  furnished  cooking- 
range  night  and  day,  to  get  a  chance  to  make  themselves 
a  warm  mess.  Poor  souls,  many  of  them  lived  on  hard 
bread  and  raw  meat,  the  greater  part  of  the  passage, 
and  paid  dearly  enough  in  the  misery  they  suffered,  for 
the  riches  which  they  all  expected  to  gain,  on  this  side 
the  Atlantic. 

The  greater  portion  of  them  entertained  the  wildest 
conceptions  of  the  country  they  were  about  to  make  their 
home.  Few  of  them  had  any  definite  ideas  of  the  rela- 
tive situations  of  different  States.  Some  thought  the 
United  states  to  be  the  name  of  a  very  large  city  in 
Ameriky,  and  asked  if  it  was  as  large  as  Liverpool  or 
London.  Others  had  come  on  board  firmly  convinced 
that  our  passage  could  not  possibly  last  more  than  ten  or 
twelve  days.  Several  asked  if  of  a  truth,  there  was 
in  Arneriky  2i.  Gold  street;  and  judging  from  the  igno- 


fi 


THE    MERCHANT    V] 


ranee  they  displayed,  there  is  no  good  reason  to  doubt 
the  truth  of  the  story  told  of  a  newly  arrived  Irishman, 
who,  going  up  the  wharf,  saw  a  silver  dollar  lying  in  his 
path,  but  spurning  it  contemptuously  with  his  foot,  refused 
to  pick  it  up,  saying,  "  I'll  wait  till  I  get  to  Gold  street, 
and  pick  up  none  but  the  yellow  boys." 

The  accommodations  for  deck  passengers,  even  on  the 
best  packet  ships,  are  of  the  poorest  kind.  There  are 
no  rooms  or  divisions,  the  entire  steerage  being  in  one 
large  apartment.  There  can,  therefore,  be  no  privacy  at 
all.  The  bunks,  or  berths,  are  made  very  large,  and 
from  six  to  ten  persons  sleep  in  each,  men,  women,  and 
children  pigging  in  together. 

As  accommodations  for  cooking  purposes  for  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  persons,  we  had  two  ranges,  capable  each 
of  holding  not  over  four  small  kettles.  Many,  therefore, 
never  had  a  mouthfull  of  warm  victuals  from  day  to  day. 
All  other  accommodations  are  on  the  same  scale. 

Low  as  is  the  passage  price,  many  find  it  beyond  their 
means,  and  scarcely  a  vessel  leaves  Liverpool  for  the 
United  States  that  has  not  on  board  some  stowaways. 
Careful  search  is  always  made  when  about  to  sail,  but 
there  are  many  hiding-places  where  they  cannot  be 
readily  found.  With  us,  one  man,  who  had  only  means 
sufficient  to  pay  his  own  passage,  but  had  his  wife  to 
take  along,  actually  put  her  into  a  large  chest,  in  which 
she  was  brought  on  board,  remaining  in  this  concealment 
till  we  were  fairly  out  at  sea. 

Then  the  implicit  confidence  with  which  these  people 
venture  upon  a  strange  land,  without  means  or  friends, 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  73 

always  seemed  to  me  a  matter  for  surprise.  There  were 
some  among  our  passengers,  that  had  not  actually  enough 
cash  to  support  them  the  first  week  after  their  landing. 
I  overlooked  one  day  five  men,  two  of  whom  were  married, 
counting  over  their  means,  and  among  the  entire  party 
they  could  muster  but  twenty-six  English  shillings,  a 
little  over  six  dollars.     But  enough  of  passengers. 

We  arrived  at  Philadelphia,  after  a  tedious  passage  of 
fifty-four  days.  The  snow  was  on  the  ground,  and  we 
found  the  weather  bitter  cold,  coming  up  the  Delaware. 
This  was  the  first  time  for  more  than  three  years,  that  I 
had  seen  snow  or  felt  cold  like  this,  and  I  speedily  deter- 
mined that  an  Indiaman  would  be  my  ship,  could  one  be 
found  in  Philadelphia. 

As  soon  as  the  ship  was  made  fast  to  the  wharf  we 
left  her.  I  was  the  only  one  of  the  crew  who  came  out 
in  her  from  Boston,  and  found  myself  now  feeling  quite 
sorrowful  at  leaving  the  old  craft,  in  which  I  had  spent 
nine  months,  on  the  whole  very  pleasantly.  Yet,  thus  goes 
the  sailor's  life.  He  cannot  even  center  his  affections 
upon  a  vessel.  A  vagabond  upon  the  face  of  the  earth, 
he  is  continually  breaking  off  all  ties  which  threaten  to 
bind  him  down  to  steadier  habits. 

So,  even  while  I  experienced  most  strongly  the  feeling 
of  reluctance  at  leaving  the  good  old  craft  which  had 
been  so  long  my  home,  and  the  officers,  whom  long 
acquaintance,  and  brotherhood  in  many  trials  and  dan- 
gers, had  given  a  strong  hold  on  my  regards,  the  pressing 
offer  which  I  received  to  *'  stay,  and  go  another  voyage," 


74  T  H  E    M  E  R  C  II  A  N  T    Y  E  S  S  E  L  . 

unhesitatingly  refused  by  me.  It  would  not  be  seaman- 
like, I  tbougbt. 

We,  the  crew,  having  been  now  some  six  months 
together,  felt  unwilling  to  part  just  here,  and  had  agreed 
therefore  to  take  the  same  boarding  house.  For  a  few 
days  we  enjoyed  a  degree  of  comfort  to  which  we  had 
long  been  strangers.  Then  came  the  search  for  ships, 
the  pressing  need,  accompanied  by  a  dread  of  the  suffer- 
ings which  are  the  inevitable  portion  of  poor  Jack,  when 
he  gets  caught  on  the  American  coast,  in  winter. 

Now  not  a  few  wished  that  they  could  stay  ashore,  to 
escape  the  frozen  fingers  and  toes,  the  ice  and  snow,  and 
the  keen  north- westers,  which  chill  the  very  marrow  in 
one's  bones,  on  a  winter  passage,  that  most  terrible  ordeal 
the  sailor  passes  through.  But  there  is  no  escape.  Ship, 
you  must,  for  they  are  already  beginning  to  sing : 

"  So  get  up  Jack,  let  John  sit  down, 
For  you  know  you're  outward  bound — 
You  know  you're  outward  bound/' 

Coming  in  one  day  to  dinner,  I  found  that  a  shipmate  of 
mine  had  engaged  in  a  little  brigantine,  bound  to  London. 

"Come,  boys,"  said  he,  *' she  wants  two  more  hands, 
go  down  and  take  a  look  at  her,  and  then  sign  the 
articles." 

"  I  wouldn't  go  into  the  British  Channel,  in  winter,  for 
all  the  gold  in  California,"  said  an  old  tar  at  the  head  of 
the  table. 

"  She's  a  little  craft,  and  you'll  not  have  to  keep  the 
blue  pigeon  going." 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  75 

**  Don't  you  believe  it ;  you'll  cast  the  lead  every  bit 
of  the  way  from  the  Downs  to  Gravesend,  and  perhaps 
clear  to  London." 

"Well,  who  cares,  it's  all  in  a  voyage;  and  at  any 
rate  she's  a  snug  little  craft,  and  her  crew  will  be  able  to 
handle  her  like  a  top." 

Now,  I  had  often  heard  of  the  sufferings  incidental 
to  a  winter  passage  across  the  Atlantic,  and  knew  the 
British  Channel  to  be  one  of  the  most  trying  and  uncom- 
fortable spots,  for  winter  navigation,  that  is  to  be  found 
within  the  temperate  zone.  There  was,  therefore,  adven- 
ture in  the  voyage,  some  new  experiences  to  make — and 
as  to  sufferings,  I  consoled  myself  with  the  reflection 
that  if  my  shipmates  could  stand  them,  I  could  do 
as  well.  I  therefore  determined  within  my  own  mind,  if 
the  vessel  looked  likely  or  comfortable,  at  once  to  ship 
in  her. 

Going  down  to  the  wharf,  I  found  her  to  be  a  diminu- 
tive brigantine,  of  not  above  one  hundred  and  sixty  tons 
burthen,  a  strange  looking  vessel  wherein  to  hazard  a 
winter  voyage  to  Europe.  She  was  to  carry  four  hands 
before  the  mast,  the  captain,  mate,  and  cook — seven,  all 
told.  The  mate  was  shovelling  snow  off  the  decks,  as  I 
went  on  board.  Said  I  to  him,  "  Do  you  think,  sir,  she'll 
ever  get  to  London  ?" 

*'  I  am  going  there  in  her,  my  lad,"  was  the  laconic 
answer ;  and  saying  to  my  shipmate  that  I  would  also,  I 
got  my  protection,  went  to  the  shipping  office  and  signed 
the  articles  of  the  brigantine  Balize,  "  bound  from  Phila- 
delphia to  London,   and  such  port    or  ports    up  the 


19  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

Mediterranean,  as  the  captain  may  determine  on,  and  back 
to  a  port  of  discharge,  in  the  United  States." 

An  American  vessel  bound  to  a  foreign  port,  is  obliged 
to  carry  a  certain  proportion  (two-thirds)  of  American 
seamen.  Every  American  seaman,  in  order  to  be  entitled 
to  the  rights  and  privileges  peculiar  to  that  class,  must  be 
furnished  with  a  Protection,  an  instrument  obtainable  at 
any  of  the  United  States  Custom  Houses,  upon  bringing 
forward  substantial  evidence  that  the  individual  is  an 
American,  either  born  or  naturalized.  Here  is  the  form 
of  a  Protection : 

The  United  States  of  America, 
No. 

I ,  Collector  of  the  District  and  Port  of , 


do  hereby  certify  that an  American  seaman, 

aged  —  years,  or  thereabouts,  of  the  hight  of  —  feet  — 

inches, complexion,  hair,  eyes,  born  in 

,  has  this  day  produced  to  me  proof  in  the  manner 

directed  by  the  Act  entitled  ''  An  Act  for  the  Belief  and 
Protection  of  American  Seamen,"  and  pursuant  to  said 

Act,  I  do  hereby  certify  that  the  said is  a  citizen 

of  the  United  States  of  America. 

In  witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and 

seal  of  office,  at this  —  day  of , 

,  Collector. 

This  Protection,  for  which  the  charge  of  twenty-five 
cents  is  made  at  the  Custom  House,  is  placed  in  the 
captain's  possession,  on  signing  the  articles,  as  he  is 
obliged  to  exhibit  a  certain  number  of  them  at  the  Cus 
torn  House  before  he  can  get  his  clearance.     Protection 


THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL.  77 

are  very  often  manufactured,  much  as  American  citizens 
are  said  to  be  made  to  order  on  the  eve  of  an  election, 
and  some  shipping  officers  keep  quite  an  assortment  on 
hand,  in  order  that  a  ship  may  not  be  detained  for  the 
want  of  American  seamen.  Thus,  in  emergencies,  they 
are  able  to  ship  men  of  any  nation,  merely  obliging  them 
to  take  the  names  which  are  on  the  Protections  they  hap- 
pen to  have  on  hand. 

An  American  Protection  is  of  little  value  to  the  sea- 
man, except  in  cases  where  he  is  wrecked,  or  left  sick  or 
destitute  in  a  foreign  port,  when  it  gives  him  a  claim  on 
the  American  Consul,  who  is  obliged  to  provide  for  him, 
and  send  him  home  if  he  desires  it. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Ship  for  London — The  Vessel — A  Winter  Passage  across  the 
Atlantic — Its  Hardships — The  English  Channel. 

When  I  announced  to  my  shipmates  that  I  was  going 
in  the  little  brigantine,  they  looked  at  me  with  dismay. 
It  then  for  the  first  time  leaked  out  that  the  general 
impression  among  them  was  that  she  never  would  reach 
London.  That  being  so  small,  and  old,  as  well  as  deeply 
laden,  she  was  likely  to  founder  in  the  tremendous  gales 
which  sweep  the  Atlantic  in  the  months  of  January  and 
February. 

This  was  not  pleasant  news  for  me,  but  like  much  ill- 
tidings,  it  came  too  late.  I  had  signed  the  articles,  and 
a  seaman's  pride  would  have  forbidden  me  to  back  out 
from  the  danger  now,  even  though  she  were  sure  to  go 
down.  I  took  occasion,  however,  on  my  next  visit  to  the 
brig,  to  mention  to  her  imperturable  mate  what  was 
said  of  the  vessel.  ^ 

Said  he,  *'  Are  you  married?" 

-  No  sir." 

''  Well,  I  have  a  wife  and  three  little  ones,  down  on 
the  Cape,  and  /am  going  to  London  in  the  Balize." 
(78) 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  79 

There  was  no  answering  a  clincher  like  that,  and  I 
was  content  to  take  what  comfort  I  could  out  of  the 
reflection  that  my  loss  would  be  my  loss  alone. 

The  second  of  January  was  appointed  for  our  sailing 
day.  It  was  an  intensely  cold  morning  when  I  put  my 
chest  and  hammock  into  a  waggon,  to  be  taken  to  the 
ship,  and  taking  a  last  lingering  look  at  the  cosey  fire, 
walked  down  to  the  wharf,  accompanied  by  several  old 
shipmates,  whom  regard  prompted  to  see  me  ofi*.  It  was 
my  first  voyage  as  seaman.  I  had  shipped  the  previous 
voyage  as  boy,  but  had  been  allowed  seaman's  wages  by 
the  captain  for  part  of  the  time,  and,  what  gratified  me 
far  more  than  the  additional  salary,  had  received  from 
the  mate,  on  leaving,  a  hearty  written  recommendation 
as  able  seaman.  As  we  walked  down,  I  received  some 
good  advice  from  one  of  my  old  shipmates,  concluding 
with : 

"  Now,  Charley,  this  is  your  first  voyage  as  seaman, 
and  you  must  not  let  any  one  go  before  you.  Wherever 
there's  duty,  there's  likely  to  be  danger,  boy,  and  where- 
ever  there's  danger,  there  do  you  be  first." 

A  tight  grasp  of  the  hand,  and  a  hearty  ''  God  bless 
you,  and  keep  you,  boy,"  from  my  shipmates,  and  I  leaped 
on  board  the  vessel,  she  was  cast  ofi",  and  we  slowly  wound 
down  the  river,  before  a  light  breeze. 

I  do  not  remember  ever  to  have  felt  it  so  terribly  cold 
as  it  was  that  morning.  The  Delaware  was  rapidly 
freezing  over,  and  we  drifted  down  with  the  tide,  through 
cakes  of  ice  every  moment  getting  harder  and  more 
impenetrable.     When  a  few  miles  below  the  city,  the 


80t  THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

breeze  freshened,  and  as  the  little  craft  danced  over  the 
waves,  every  pitch  increased  the  mass  of  ice  that  was 
gathering  about  her  head.  The  spray,  which  flew  freely 
in  over  the  bows,  froze  hard  before  it  reached  the  deck, 
and  we  who  were  securing  the  anchors  for  sea,  were  soon 
encased  in  ice,  yet  without  being  wet  through,  as  we  should 
have  beeen  had  it  been  less  cold. 

It  was  utterly  impossible  to  keep  any  part  of  the  body 
even  moderately  warm,  and  feet  and  hands  were  shortly 
quite  numb  and  sensationless.  It  is  always  colder  on 
fresh  water  than  on  salt,  and  as  we  neared  the  bay,  and 
got  into  the  sea  tide,  there  was  a  slight,  although  quite 
perceptible  change  in  the  temperature. 

As  we  approached  the  ocean,  the  breeze  freshened  to  a 
gale,  and  we  took  occasion,  on  running  in  behind  the 
break-water  to  land  the  pilot,  to  single  reef  our  stiff  and 
bran  new  cotton  foretopsail,  and  also  reef  the  foresail  and 
mainsail.  For  the  latter  sail,  however,  we  had  but  little 
use  thereafter,  as  the  gale,  which  blew  from  west-north- 
west, was  very  nearly  aft,  and  the  foretopsail  and  fore- 
sail were  the  only  sails  we  could  carry  under  such 
circumstances. 

While  aloft,  reefing,  we  looked  with  sinking  hearts 
upon  the  mountain  billows  whose  white  heads  were  wildly 
breaking  upon  the  beach  outside,  and  the  sullen  roar  of 
the  sea  seemed  to  warn  us  not  to  tempt  its  power. 

The  pilot  landed  (oh,  how  I  envied  him),  the  sails 
reefed  and  hoisted,  and  everything  double  secured  about 
decks,  we  wore  round  and  stood  out  past  Cape  Henlopen. 
As  we  rounded  the  point  of  the  break-water,  which  had 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  81 

protected  us,  a  huge  wave  struck  the  vessel,  and  came 
crashing  oVer  the  bows,  deluging  the  deck,  and  sweeping 
all  before  it,  until  it  found  its  way  out  at  the  stern. 

AVith  that  wave  went  the  last  vestige  of  dryness,  the 
only  kind  of  comfort  there  is  on  board  ship  in  cold 
weather,  for  the  entire  passage.  From  that  time,  for 
thirty  days  and  nights,  not  one  of  the  crew  had  on  a  dry 
stitch  of  clothing. 

I  had  heard  before  of  bathing-tubs,  had  been  told  of 
making  an  entire  passage  under  water,  but  looked  upon 
such  yarns  as  rather  tough — somewhat  highly  colored. 
But  the  experience  of  this  passage  left  us  no  longer  room 
to  doubt  the  possibility  of  a  vessel  making  her  way 
through  and  under  the  water.  From  the  time  the  first 
wave  struck  till  we  entered  the  English  Channel  a  con- 
tinual succession  of  seas  swept  our  decks,  one  following 
upon  the  top  of  the  other,  until  we  have  actually  seen 
waves  come  on  board  in  a  solid  body  over  ten  feet  high, 
sweep  across  the  deck  like  a  vast  sea-green  avalanche,  and 
roll  out  over  the  bow. 

Fortunately  our  rail,  or  bulwark,  was  very  low,  and 
the  water  had  as  free  egress  as  ingress,  else  would  all  the 
stancheons  have  been  swept  away  by  the  force  of  the 
body  of  water  which  was  continually  washing  from  one 
side  to  the  other  of  the  deck  as  she  rolled. 

It  was  just  at  one  o'clock  of  the  second  day  after  leav- 
ing Philadelphia,  that  we  took  this  launch  into  the 
stormy  Atlantic.  Judging  that  we  should  experience 
some  rough  weather,  everything  about  decks,  such  as  boat, 
water-casks  and  galley,  had  been  doubly  and  even  trebly 
6 


82  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

fastened.  With  the  same  view  to  security,  we  had  bent 
new  sails,  with  new  robands,  had  doubly  clinched  the 
tackls,  sheets,  buntlines,  and  clewlines,  that  no  piece  of 
gear  might  get  adrift  perhaps  at  the  very  time  we  should 
need  it  most.  We  had  furled  the  topgallantsail  and 
gafftopsail,  and  wound  each  sail  about  with  gaskets 
enough  to  make  fast  a  seventy-four's  topsail.  We  had 
even  lashed  the  chain  cable,  a  portion  of  which  was 
stowed  upon  deck. 

But  what  can  standi  before  the  fury  of  such  a  blast 
as  that  before  which  we  were  driving  —  what  resist 
the  impetuous  force  of  the  mountains  of  water  which 
rolled,  and  tumbled,  and  broke  over  our  decks  con- 
tinually. 

On  the  very  first  night  out,  in  the  mid-watch,  while  I 
was  at  the  helm,  a  sea  crashed  on  deck,  just  forward  of 
the  main  rigging,  and  falling  upon  the  large  boat  which 
lay,  bottom  up,  upon  the  main  hatchway,  crushed  her  as 
completely  as  though  men  with  axes  had  stove  her  to 
pieces. 

In  the  morning  watch,  our  foresail  split  and  blew  from 
the  yard,  not  a  sign  of  it  being  left,  even  the  reef,  which 
was  fast  to  the  yard,  gradually  going,  strip  by  strip. 

On  the  second  morning,  we  found  our  topgallantsail 
blown  out  of  the  gaskets.  On  the  next  night  an  unusu- 
ally large  sea  boarded  us,  tore  two  large  water-casks 
from  their  lashings,  and  carried  them  clear  over  the  rail. 

We  had,  ere  this,  made  our  little  galley  fast  to  every 
bolt,  stancheon,  mast  and  rigging,  that  could  possibly  be 
connected  with  it  by  a  rope,  and  this  multiplied  precaution 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  83 

was  the  only  means  of  saving  it.  But  with  this  ex- 
ception, and  two  water-casks  lushed  aft  near  the  taflf- 
rail,  where  the  seas  did  not  come  on  board  with  such 
fury,  there  was  not  left,  when  we  were  three  days  out,  a 
single  moveable  object  about  decks,  and  everything  that 
could  be  blown  away  aloft,  was  likewise  gone. 

No  one  who  has  not  seen  and  felt  it,  can  imagine  the 
searching  power  of  the  wind  in  a  gale  like  this.  It  no 
longer  gives  way,  but  carries  all  before  it  with  resistless 
sway.  It  becomes  something  tangible,  a  force  which  you 
feel,  as  though  a  heavy  body  struck  you.  It  is  even  im- 
possible to  draw  a  breath  when  looking  to  windward,  and 
to  make  progress  against  it  along  decks,  it  is  necessary  to 
di'aw  one's  self  along  by  the  bulwark,  or  life  lines. 

Of  course  the  forecastle  and  cabin  hatchways  were 
kept  closed,  as  the  least  carelessness  in  that  particular 
might  have  filled  these  places  with  a  sea,  drowning  the 
inmates  in  their  berths.  When  the  watch  came  on  deck 
they  were  obliged  to  look  out  for  a  comparatively  smooth 
interval,  and  then  darting  quickly  out  of  the  little  scuttle, 
shut  and  bolt  it  down.  Before  they  got  aft  a  sea  would 
overwhelm  them,  out  of  which  they  would  emerge,  gasp- 
ing for  breath,  half  drowned,  and  dripping.  Not  unfre- 
quently  we  were  obliged  to  make  ourselves  fast  to  ropes 
stretched  along  from  aft  to  the  forecastle,  and  let  those 
abaft  pull  us  along  through  the  water. 

The  natural  heat  of  the  system  drying  on  us  the  salt 
water,  encased  our  bodies  in  a  crust  of  salt,  which  rubbed 
and  chafed,  and  eat  into  the  tender  skin,  making  us  all 
over   sores.     The  waves  continually  dashing  into  our 


84  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

faces,  half  blinded  us,  and  tlie  salt  drying  on  around  the 
eyelids,  made  painful  swellings  about  those  susceptible, 
parts. 

To  add  to  our  troubles,  already  sufficiently  great,  on 
the  second  night  out,  our  vessel  sprung  a  leak,  and  from 
that  time  till  we  anchored  in  the  Downs  we  never  left  the 
pumps.  The  brig  steered  badly,  and  steering  a  vessel 
under  such  circumstances  is  at  best  a  most  disagreeable 
labor,  since  the  lives  of  all  on  board,  and  the  safety  of 
the  vessel,  depend  in  a  great  measure  on  the  watchful 
vigilance  of  the  helmsman.  A  turn  of  the  helm  the 
wrong  way,  or  the  neglect  to  meet  her  quickly,  as  some 
vast  wave  swings  the  little  craft  half  round,  and  she 
broaches  to  the  wind,  and  to  broach  to  in  such  a  gale  at 
sea  is  certain  destruction. 

Almost  every  minute  a  wave  bounces  over  the  rail,  and 
dashes  the  poor  helmsman  forcibly  airainst  the  wheel,  to 
which  he  clings  for  dear  life,  until  the  green  mass  of 
water  passes  and  leaves  him  half  drowned,  to  twist  at 
the  stubborn  helm,  and  keep  the  vessel  in  her  course. 
So  severe  was  the  toil  of  steering,  that  I  have  many  a 
time  stood,  on  the  cold  January  nights,  in  my  shirt 
sleeves,  dripping  with  the  sea  water,  and  yet  with  the 
perspiration  breaking  out  on  my  face  and  arms,  and  all 
the  upper  part  of  my  body  in  a  glow  of  heat. 

Our  hands,  with  the  continual  grasping  of  wheel  or 
pump-break,  or  rope,  and  the  constant  wetness,  were  raw 
inside  and  out,  and  left  their  marks  in  blood  on  every- 
thing they  touched.  Then,  when  the  two  hours  trick  at 
the  wheel  was  over,  the  worn  out  helmsman  must  go  to 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  85 

the  pump,  where  lashing  himself  to  the  mainmast  to 
keep  from  being  borne  overboard  by  the  seas,  he  pumps 
another  weary  two  hours,  occasionally  spelled,  or  relieved, 
by  the  captain  or  mate. 

But  it  was  in  our  feet  we  suffered  most.  Arms  and 
body  though  sore  and  suffering,  received  a  sufficiency  of 
violent  exercise  to  keep  up  a  healthy  circulation  of  the 
blood,  while  our  feet  were  moved  but  little,  and  after 
being  for  four  hours  immersed  in  the  ice  cold  water,  were 
entirely  sensationless,  mere  appendages,  without  the 
power  of  motion,  and  feeling  as  though  tightly  cased  in 
ice. 

Many  times  have  I  on  going  below,  seen  my  solitary 
watch-mate  (for  there  were  only  two  in  each  watch,)  pulling 
off  his  boots  in  full  confidence  that  he  would  find  his  feet 
enveloped  in  ice.  And  often  was  I  myself  certain,  that 
this  time  my  poor  feet  must  be  solidly  frozen. 

This  was  our  life  on  deck.  Below  it  was  but  little 
better,  although  we  were  glad  enough  to  get  to  a  shelter 
from  the  sharp  winds,  which  was  the  only  way  in  which 
the  forecastle  was  of  any  benefit  to  us.  Notwithstanding 
our  most  ingenious  devices  to  keep  out  the  water,  in  order 
that  we  might  have  at  least  one  little  dry  spot  left,  it 
poured  in  at  every  seam  of  the  upper  deck.  On  the  floor 
the  water  stood  (or  rather  rolled,  for  nothing  stood)  at 
least  six  inches  deep,  continually.  Our  bunks  were  half 
afloat,  blankets  were  wrung  out  every  watch,  and  mat- 
tresses were  mere  mouldy  masses  of  wet  and  rotting  straw. 

Sitting  in  a  little  shower  bath  upon  our  chests,  we 
would  first  pull  off  very  carefully,  and  gingerly,  the  boots 


86  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

and  stockings  from  our  frozen  feet.  The  operation  of 
gradually  stripping  off  the  stockings  used  to  seem  to  me 
like  peeling  off  the  skin,  so  tender  were  the  benumbed 
limbs.  Stockings,  wrung  out,  were  hung  upon  a  nail  in 
readiness  to  be  resumed  at  the  end  of  the  four  hours 
Trowsers  and  shirts  were  now  submitted  to  a  similar  pro 
cess  of  wringing  out,  and  hai]ging  up,  and  then  each 
turned  naked  into  his  berth,  to  get  warm,  and  doze  off  to 
sleep. 

But  the  getting  a  little  warm  was  a  torture.  As  the 
blood  returned  to  the  long  feelingless  feet,  it  would  seem 
as  though  small  veins  or  streams  of  hot  lead  were  being 
poured  over  various  portions  of  the  limbs.  Amid  groans 
of  pain,  the  sufferer  puts  his  hands  down  to  ascertain 
whether  the  returning  circulation  has  not  hursted  open 
his  foot,  so  acute  are  the  sensations  consequent  upon  a 
renewal  of  feeling. 

After  a  succession  of  attempts  to  make  all  snug,  the 
exhausted  body  at  last  sinks  into  a  slumber,  from  which 
it  is  awakened  at  the  expiration  of  the  watch,  and  called 
to  turn  out  of  the  now  warm,  and  at  last  comfortable, 
steaming  bed-place,  and  relieve  his  shipmates  at  steering 
and  pumping. 

On  getting  up,  we  would  be  steaming,  literally,  the 
warmth  of  our  bodies  turning  the  moisture  of  the  bedding 
into  vapor.  The  cold,  wet  clothing  pulled  off  and  wrung 
out  at  the  commencement  of  the  watch,  was  now  resumed, 
the  wet  stockings  were  once  more  put  inside  of  the  wetter 
boots,  the  sow-wester  securely  fastened  under  the  chin, 
and  shivering  and  miserable,  we  crawled  up  the  ladder 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  87 

to  wait  for  a  favorable  moment  when  to  issue  on  deck 
and  run  aft. 

To  add  still  to  our  troubles,  when  it  blew  the  hardest 
it  was  found  impossible  to  keep  the  vessel  free  by  means 
of  constant  pumping,  and  I  yet  recall  the  sinking  of 
despair  with  which,  on  some  of  the  very  worst  days  and 
nights  of  the  trip,  we  were  wakened  up  long  before  the 
expiration  of  our  watch  below,  to  aid  in  pumping,  and 
try  to  keep  the  water  under.  For  three  long  days  and 
nights,  at  one  time,  she  was  graduallly  sinking  under  us, 
our  most  strenuous  efforts  at  the  pumps  to  the  contrary 
notwithstanding. 

On  sounding  the  pump-well,  at  the  expiration  of  a 
watch,  we  would  find  that  in  spite  of  our  efforts,  the 
water  had  gained  upon  us  several  inches.  We  fought  it 
iiich  by  inch,  hoping  for  more  moderate  weather,  which 
v^  as  the  only  thing  that  could  save  us.  Yet  our  labor 
was  performed  not  with  the  energy  of  persons  working  for 
s(  mething  they  would  like  to  save.  It  was  more  as  a 
matter  of  duty  to  the  vessel  and  her  owners.  For  so 
much  had  we  suffered  with  wet  and  cold,  that  we  had 
begun  to  look  upon  our  now  probable  fate  as,  at  any 
rate,  a  relief  from  misery  too  great  to  be  borne  much 
longer.     Any  change  was  welcome. 

Strange  feelings  come  over  one  in  such  times.  In  our 
dozing,  down  below,  (for  to  sleep  was  become  impossible, 
and  one  simply  dozed  off  into  a  state  of  semi-unconscious- 
ness,) we  used  to  dream  of  home  and  of  the  old  times 
long  past  when  we  were  children  there.  Ketiring  to  our 
wet  births,  unknowing  whether  we  should  ever  rise  from 


88  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

tliem  again,  we  would  return  to  full  consciousness  at  the 
calling  of  the  watch,  half  surprized,  half  sorry  that  the 
final  catastrophe  was  not  yet — that  another  four  hours 
of  the  battle  must  be  waged  before  we  finally  succumbed. 

"VYe  began  to  think  it  would  be  as  well,  and  much  more 
Comfortable,  to  remain  in  our  berths  and  await  the  sure 
fate.  It  would  but  hasten  it  a  little.  But  duty  forbade. 
And  there  is,  after  all,  a  faint  lingering  spark  of  hope, 
which  seems  never  to  leave  man,  or  at  any  rate,  the 
sailor,  until  he  is  totally  overwhelmed — and  this  too, 
urged  us  to  the  pumps. 

Yet  we  grew  careless  of  the  event.  Day  by  day  we 
went  to  our  berths,  not  knowing  but  we  were  closing  our 
eyes  for  the  last  time — sleeping  to  wake  no  more.  Watch 
after  watch  we  went  on  deck  expecting  each  four  hours 
to  be  the  last,  until,  ere  long,  we  had  grown  used  to  the 
feeling,  and  suffered  silently  on,  thinking  as  little  as 
might  be  of  that  to  which  all  had  now  resigned  them- 
selves. 

Cooking,  for  a  great  part  of  the  passage,  was  out  of 
the  question.  A  pot  of  hot  coffee  was  a  luxury  not 
attainable  every  day,  and  as  for  preparing  anything  else, 
it  was  vain  to  think  of  it.  So  the  cook  took  his  turn  at 
the  pumps  with  the  rest,  and  nursed  his  cold  toes  the 
balance  of  the  time. 

The  water  stood  three  feet  deep  in  the  hold,  and  was 
still  slowly  gaining  on  us,  when  at  last  the  weather 
moderated  a  little,  and  the  wind  gradually  dying  down, 
gave  us  nearly  an  entire  day,  (a  Sabbath)  of  calm.  But 
although  the  gale  had  gone  down,  the  sea  was  rolling 


THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL.  89 

mountains  higli,  and  with  the  exception  of  being  able,  by 
pumping  hard  all  day,  to  free  the  vessel  of  water,  we 
were  but  little  better  off  than  before. 

"  We  shall  pay  for  it  before  forty-eight  hours,"  said 
the  mate,  as  we  were  congratulating  ourselves  on  the 
favorable  change. 

And  sure  enough  before  the  night  was  over,  we  had 
seen  the  wildest  weather  of  all  the  passage. 

About  two  in  the  afternoon,  an  intensely  black  cloud 
began  to  rise  in  the  west,  slowly  spreading  until  it  covered 
all  the  western  horizon,  from  north  to  south,  with  a  pall 
of  inky  darkness.  Jt  did  not  move — ^there  seemed  no  life 
in  it.  But  it  grew  almost  imperceptibly  larger,  until,  at 
sunset,  the  entire  firmament  was  one  impenetrable  black 
mass,  and  the  darkness  seemed  fairly  tangible. 

We  had  taken  in  the  sails,  loosed  during  the  day 
(having  taken  advantage  of  the  calm  to  bend  another 
foresail)  and  were  now,  at  dark,  lying  under  a  single 
reefed  foretopsail,  waiting  for  the  storm  which  we  knew 
was  suspended  over  head. 

The  wind  had  entirely  died  away  before  dark,  not  a 
breath  of  air  being  perceptible,  and  except  the  dull  roar 
of  the  sea,  and  the  heavy  sug  of  our  vessel  as  she  pitched 
into  it,  all  was  still.  Every  man  was  on  deck,  for  we 
felt  there  would  soon  be  work  enough  for  us  to  do. 

In  the  pitchy  darkness  we  could  not  see  a  rope,  or  dis- 
tinguish each  other,  although  touching.  The  captain 
had  brought  a  large  lantern  on  deck,  and  was  standing 
on  the  chain  cable,  near  the  helmsman,  ready  to  light  us, 
should  it  be  necessary  to  get  a  pull  at  anything. 


90  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

Now  there  is  a  low  sigh  of  wind  over  the  water. 

*'  Put  jour  helm  hard  to  starboard,"  says  the  captain, 
and  try  to  get  her  before  it." 

Now  a  louder  blast,  succeeded  by  one  yet  fiercer,  and 
then  with  an  intensely  brilliant  flash  of  lightning,  and  a  , 
burst  of  thunder  as  though  the  heavens  were  rent  in 
twain,  the  gale  was  upon  us. 

''  Clew  down  your  fore  topsail,  let  go  the  halyards," 
shouted  the  captain. 

But  too  late.  The  bellying  sail  would  not  come  down, 
and  the  brig  fairly  stood  upon  end  for  a  moment  as  the 
whole  impetus  of  the  gale  struck  her,  then  burying  her 
bows,  clear  to  the  foremast,  in  an  immense  sea,  she  forged 
ahead,  staggering  like  an  animal  that  has  been  struck  a 
heavy  blow  upon  the  head.  The  wind  shrieked  wildly  as 
it  rushed  by  us,  the  hail  drove  down  upon  us  in  torrents, 
leaving  its  marks  wherever  it  struck  upon  our  persons. 
While  pulling  at  the  foretopsail  clewline,  a  hailstone 
struck  me  on  the  hand  and  tore  off  a  piece  of  skin  as 
large  as  half  a  dollar.  Several  were  wounded  in  the 
same  way. 

The  captain  called  to  all  to  come  aft.  Suddenly  we 
noticed  upon  the  masthead,  and  at  each  yard  arm  small 
blue  flames,  dancing  like  evil  spirits  hither  and  thither 
upon  the  wind.  It  was  the  *' corposant,"  so  called  by 
seamen,  often  the  precursor,  sometimes  the  accompani- 
ment of  a  violent  storm,  an  electrical  appearance,  gen- 
erally attaching  itself  to  the  irons  on  the  extremities  of 
the  masts  and  yards,  the  pale  and  ghastly  light  darting 
about  fitfully  as  the  breeze  catches  it. 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  91 

There  is  a  superstitious  belief  among  seamen,  that  he 
upon  whom  a  corposant  has  shone,  will  die  before  the 
expiration  of  the  voyage. 

A  still  stranger  phenomenon  drew  our  attention  from 
the  appearances  upon  the  yards.  Our  brig  had  double 
mainstays,  two  large  ropes  running  from  the  mainmast- 
head  to  the  deck  at  the  foot  of  the  foremast.  Down 
between  these  stays,  which  were  some  six  inches  apart, 
now  rolled  what  appeared  to  us  a  ball  of  liquid  fire, 
somewhat  resembling  a  red-hot  sixty-eight  pound  shot. 
When  yet  some  ten  feet  from  the  deck,  the  chain  cable 
stretched  along  under  the  stay,  seemed  to  attract  it,  it 
fell  upon  it,  and  with  a  sharp,  hissing  noise,  flew  into 
hundreds  of  pieces,  the  greater  portion  running  aft  along 
the  line  of  chain. 

The  captain,  who  was  standing  with  one  foot  upon  this 
cable,  was  struck  by  the  electric  current  and  transfixed, 
immovable  for  a  few  minutes.  Every  pane  of  glass  in 
the  large  lantern  he  held  in  his  hand  was  broken.  The 
man  at  the  wheel  was  rendered  entirely  helpless  for  some 
time,  having  to  be  carried  from  his  post.  Whether,  as 
some  of  the  crew  asserted,  this  appearance  was  accom- 
panied by  a  loud  clap  of  thunder,  or  not,  I  would  not 
dare  to  say,  for  so  much  was  I  taken  up  with  the  mete- 
oric fire  ball,  that  had  the  heavens  burst  with  thunder  I 
should  not  have  kaown  it 

The  violent  hail,  which  lasted  perhaps  three-quarters 
of  an  hour,  had  the  effect  of  beating  down  the  sea,  so 
that  even  at  the  hight  of  the  squall,  we  were  sailing 
through  comparatively  smooth  water. 


92  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

The  first  blast  over,  and  our  old  gale  returned,  with 
the  same  rolling,  the  same  continual  shipping  of  seas,  the 
same  tiresome  labor  at  the  pumps.  We  still  ran  before 
it,  although  we  overtook  large  ships  hove-to.  Our  captain 
would  not  heave-to — partly,  as  he  was  actually  afraid 
when  the  gale  was  at  its  hight,  to  bring  so  small  a  vessel 
to  the  wind,  and  partly  because  he  was  anxious  to  get 
across. 

On  the  twentieth  night  out,  she  broached-to  with  us. 
This  is  a  most  dangerous  accident,  and  not  unfrequently 
occasions  the  loss  of  a  vessel.  Eortunately,  we  had  but 
a  rag  of  canvass,  the  close-reefed  foretopsail,  set,  and  in 
the  moment  of  her  coming  violently  to  the  wind,  the 
braces  were  let  go  by  the  mate,  so  that  the  yards  swung, 
and  did  not  allow  the  sail  to  get  aback.  (By  broach- 
ing-to  is  meant  the  act  of  a  vessel  which  has  been  going 
before  the  wind,  turning  violently  about,  and  bringing 
the  sails  aback.  Many  a  good  ship,  running  under  a 
press  of  canvas,  has  been  sent  down  stern  foremost  by 
broaching- to.)  As  our  vessel  lay  in  the  trough  of  the 
sea  for  a  few  minutes,  the  decks,  fore  and  aft,  were 
entirely  covered  with  an  enormous  wave,  which  boarded  her 
en  masse,  and  threatened  to  send  us  all  to  the  bottom. 
Here  our  low  rail  was  again  useful,  the  brig  being  able 
to  clear  herself  much  quicker  of  the  body  of  water,  than 
had  she  had  higher  bulwarks.  Yet  it  was  for  some 
minutes  green  all  around  and  over  us,  and  we  began  to 
think  we  were  going  under.  The  helm  had  been  put 
down,  in  the  moment  of  her  broaching-to,  and  she  had 
sufficient  headway  to  mind  it,  and  gradually  came  up  to 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  98 

the  wind,  lying  across  the  trough  of  the  sea,  and  clearing 
her  decks  in  a  great  measure  of  the  water.  Having  her 
once  hove-to,  it  was  exceedingly  dangerous  to  keep  off 
before  it  again,  until  it  should  moderate,  as  we  would 
once  more  be  exposed  to  the  danger  of  being  boarded  by 
some  mountain  wave,  and  perhaps  having  our  decks  swept. 
It  was  therefore  determined  to  heave-to  under  a  close- 
reefed  fore-spencer. 

The  topsail  was  clewed  up,  and  after  an  hour's  hard 
tugging  at  it,  we  succeeded  in  furling  it.  We  were  now 
relieved  from  the  toil  of  steering,  as  the  helm  is  lashed 
down,  and  had  consequently  double  force  at  the  pumps. 
But  our  troubles  were  soon  to  recommence.  We  had  just 
gone  below  to  get  some  breakfast,  after  having  been  up 
nearly  all  night,  getting  her  snug,  when  the  fore-spencer 
blew  away.  As  it  was  necessary  to  have  some  sail  on 
her,  we  set  the  storm  foretopmast  staysail,  and  a  little 
comer  of  the  mainsail.  Before  an  hour,  the  foretopmast 
staysail  flew  away,  and  the  force  of  the  mainsail  sud- 
denly brought  to  bear  on  the  stern,  brought  her  head  to 
the  wind  and  sea.  An  immense  billow  lifted  up  her  bow, 
and  for  a  moment  she  stood  upon  her  stern,  all  hands 
thinking  she  would  go  down  stern  foremost — in  the  next 
she  seemed  to  slide  off  the  mountain  of  water,  and  we 
lay  to  on  the  other  tack,  having  been  thrown  by  the  sea 
from  one  tack  to  the  other.  We  quickly  hauled  down 
the  mainsail,  and  set  a  small  tarpaulin  in  the  main  rig- 
ging, and  under  this,  lay  to  securely  until  the  gale  had 
abated  somewhat. 

Yet  ten  days  of  pumping  and  steering,  and  the  numerous 


94  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

vessels  coming  in  view,  as  well  as  the  dense  fogs,  pro- 
claimed the  vicinity  of  land.  As  we  entered  the  mouth 
of  the  British  Channel,  the  gale  decreased,  but  the 
weather  was  much  more  uncomfortable,  on  account  of  its 
dampness,  and  as  we  kept  watch  at  night  in  our  salt- 
water soaked  clothing  I  felt  sometimes  as  though  the 
marrow  was  congealing  in  my  bones.  With  a  fair  breeze, 
on  the  next  day  after  entering  the  Channel  we  got  up  to 
Be  achy  Head,  where  we  lay  becalmed  for  an  afternoon, 
anxiously  peering  through  the  fog  for  a  pilot-boat.  While 
lying  here,  a  steamer  passed  us  on  her  way  up.  It 
seemed  hard  to  us  as  she  paddled  past,  to  think  that 
she  would  be  in  London  probably  that  night  yet,  while 
we  might,  should  we  take  a  headwind,  beat  about 
there  for  a  week,  and  after  all  go  ashore  on  some  of  the 
English  cliffs.  I  never  before  so  badly  wished  myself 
out  of  any  scrape,  and  determined,  as  indeed  did  all  the 
crew,  that  if  we  once  got  the  crazy  old  brig  safely  to 
London,  incontinently  to  leave  her  there. 

That  night  we  got  a  little  farther  ahead,  and  in  the 
mid-watch  fortunately  got  a  Dungeness  or  deejj-sea  pilot 
as  these  are  called,  in  contradistinction  to  the  river  men, 
who  are  known  as  mud  pilots.  This  was  an  immense 
relief  to  us,  as  our  captain,  who  had  never  before  made  a 
foreign  voyage,  was  totally  unacquainted  with  the  Chan- 
nel, and  had,  for  the  last  two  days,  been  chasing  every 
vessel  that  hove  in  sight,  to  find  out  our  whereabouts,  the 
constant  fogs  preventing  him  from  getting  an  observation. 

W^e  ran  into  the  Downs  and  there  anchored  until  the 
tide  should  serve,  as,  when  the  breeze  arose,  it  was  dead 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  96 

ahead,  giving  us  a  prospect  of  beating  all  the  way  up  to 
Gravesend,  the  real  entrance  to  the  river  Thames,  and 
the  port  of  the  city  of  London. 

The  deep-sea  pilots  in  the  English  Channel  are  a  pe- 
culiar set.  More  thorough-going  seamen,  in  all  that  per- 
tains to  the  management  of  a  vessel,  or  more  competent 
and  trustworthy  men  in  their  profession,  are  probably 
nowhere  to  be  found.  They  are  under  the  control  of  a 
naval  board,  called  the  Trinity  Chapter,  who  appear  to 
have  under  their  charge  the  entire  British  Channel,  or 
at  least  all  in  and  about  the  English  side  of  it,  that 
pertains  to  the  safety  of  shipping. 

Very  strict  rules  are  laid  down  for  the  pilots,  in  regard 
to  the  management  of  the  vessels  placed  under  their 
charge,  such  as  placing  a  single  reef  in  the  topsails  every 
time  a  vessel  comes  to  anchor,  during  the  winter  season, 
paying  out  a  certain  amount  of  cable,  keeping  anchor- 
watch,  and  various  other  matters.  As  vessels  work  tide 
work  in  beating  up  channel,  that  is,  get  under  weigh 
with  every  favoring  tide,  and  come  to  anchor  when  it 
turns,  this  occasions  no  small  addition  to  the  labor,  already 
sufficiently  great,  of  making  short  tacks,  keeping  the 
lead  constantly  going,  and  the  frequent  weighing 
anchor. 

With  our  dull-sailing  and  deep-loaded  craft,  we  were 
three  days  and  nights  beating  up  to  Gravesend,  a  time 
during  which  we  got  but  little  sleep,  and  although  per- 
haps, on  the  whole,  less  uncomfortable  than  during  the 
previous  portions  of  our  passage,  were  almost  continually 
on  deck,  exposed  to  the  damp  air,  and  handling  wet  ropes, 


96  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

heaving  the  lead  when  the  line  froze  as  we  hauled  it  in, 
and  working  with  muddy  chains  and  anchors. 

Passing  the  buoy  at  the  Nore,  whose  miserable  fate  has 
been  so  comically  lamented  by  Hood,  and  which  marks 
the  scene  of  the  great  mutiny,  when  England's  wooden 
walls  had  nearly  been  turned  against  her,  we  finally 
reached  Gravesend.  Having  brought  us  to  anchor  here, 
our  pilot's  office  ceased,  and  he  went  ashore. 

The  brig  was  now  thoroughly  searched  by  custom-house 
officers,  one  of  whom  remained  on  board  until  the  cargo 
was  out.  We  had  been  hailed  times  without  number,  on 
our  passage  up,  by  tow-boats  desirous  to  take  us  up  to 
London,  which  would  have  relieved  the  crew  of  an  im- 
mense deal  of  severe  labor,  besides  materially  expediting 
our  progress ;  but  our  stingy  Yankee  skipper  took  counsel 
with  his  pocket,  and  "  having  the  men  to  feed  and  pay 
at  any  rate,"  as  he  said,  to  the  pilot's  infinite  disgust, 
preferred  to  beat  up. 

We  had  now,  however,  arrived  at  the  head  of  all  such 
navigation  as  that.  The  Thames,  from  Gravesend  to 
London,  outdoes  even  the  Mississippi  in  the  number  and 
acuteness  of  its  turns,  or  reaches,  as  they  are  called,  and 
but  one  class  of  vessels  pretend  to  sail  up  from  here. 
These  are  the  Colliers,  the  Jordies,  who,  in  their  dirty- 
looking  brigs  (the  brig  is  the  favorite  and  only  rig  of  a 
true  Jordie  collier-man)  work  up  slowly  from  reach  to 
reach,  taking  perhaps  a  week  to  make  the  distance  from 
Gravesend  to  the  city. 

These  collier  men  are  a  peculiar  set.  Familiar  from 
childhood  with  all  the  intricacies  of  channel  navigation, 


THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL.  97 

they  work  their  way  with  singular  dexterity  through  the 
immense  fleet  of  shipping,  of  all  nations,  that  at  all  times 
congregates  here,  often  nearly  blocking  up  the  upper  por- 
tion of  the  channel.  They  hold  all  manner  of  foreign 
vessels,  or  **  south  Spainers,"  in  supreme  contempt.  Un- 
derstanding perfectly  their  rights,  and  obstinately  main- 
taining them,  woe  betide  the  unfortunate  craft  that 
misses  stays,  and  hanging  in  irons,  remains  an  unman- 
ageable impediment  in  Jordie's  lawful  track.  He  will 
unhesitatingly  poke  his  short,  stout  jibboom  through  your 
foresail,  or  into  your  cabin  windows,  and  ''  out  of  the 
way,  you  brass-bottomed  booger,"-'  is  all  the  apology  you 
get. 

Without  the  collier  men,  London's  river  would  be  be- 
reft of  half  its  life,  and  all  its  fun,  for  in  return  for  his 
crabbed  spitefulness,  everybody  has  a  fling  at  Jordie ;  and 
happy  he  who  does  not  come  out  second  best,  for  either 
billingsgate  or  fisticuffs  he  is  hard  to  beat. 

Being  finally  persuaded  of  the  utter  impossibility  of 
beating  up  to  London,  our  captain  had  to  engage  a 
steam- tug,  which  brought  us  up  to  our  berth,  in  the 
herring  tier,  on  the  Surry  side,  in  a  very  short  time. 
Here  we  were  hauled  under  an  immense  crane,  and  the 
hatches  being  opened,  ten  tierces  of  beef  were  hoisted  out 
at  once,  the  entire  cargo  being  landed  in  little  more  than 
half  a  day. 

*  In  allusion  to  the  copper  on  the  bottoms  of  all  foreign-sdil- 
ing  vessels,  but  which  is  never  seen  on  a  collier. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Arrival  in  London — The  Docks— Sailors — The  California  Ship 
— Singular  instance  of  Affection  in  a  Serpent — What  Sailors 
see  of  London — Sail  for  Boston. 

With  the  next  tide  we  hauled  into  the  St.  Katherine's 
dock,  where  we  were  to  take  in  our  return  cargo.  The 
docks  of  London  are  altogether  differently  arranged  from 
those  in  Liverpool.  Here  we  were  allowed  to  cook  on  board, 
but  a  light  after  eight  o'clock  at  night  was  strictly  for- 
bidden. The  gates  close  at  seven,  P.  M.,  and  open  at 
seven,  A.  M.,  and  every  one  going  out  is  strictly  searcncd 
by  the  gate-keepers,  not  only  to  prevent  the  introduction 
of  contraband  articles,  but  also  to  prevent  thieving  on 
the  part  of  the  dock  laborers  and  persons  frequenting  the 
shipping.  No  bundle  of  any  kind  is  allowed  to  be  car- 
ried out,  without  a  written  permit  from  some  person  in 
authority. 

These  strict  regulations  are  rendered  necessary  on  ac- 
count of  the  vast  quantities  of  merchandise  of  all  kinds 
stored  up  here.  All  around  the  docks  are  spacious  ware- 
houses from  three  to  six  stories  high,  where  is  deposited 
a  portion  of  the  goods  brought  here  by  shipping  from  all 
parts  of  the  world.  There  can  be  no  more  interesting 
(98) 


THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL.  99 

sight  in  London  than  would  be  obtained  by  a  walk 
through  these  warehouses.  He  who  has  not  visited  them 
has  no  idea  of  the  vast  amount  of  wealth,  from  all  parts 
of  the  world,  which  is  constantly  accumulating  here. 
The  most  precious  commodities,  which  at  home  we 
see  dribbled  out  by  half  ounces  and  drachms,  are  there 
seen  by  the  bale  and  hogshead,  and  warehouse-full. 
Here  in  two  vast  buildings  is  stored  tea.  In  these 
vaults,  extending  for  squares  underground,  are  wines. 
On  this  broad  quay  are  piled  immense  tierces  of  tallow 
from  icy  Archangel,  and  by  their  side  lies  a  vessel  fra- 
grant with  all  the  spices  of  Araby  the  blest.  Here  is  a 
four- story  building,  filled  to  overflowing  with  bales  of 
cinnamon  and  sacks  of  nutmegs.  Next  to  it  is  the  de- 
pository of  all  the  indigo  in  the  world.  Here  is  hemp, 
and  there  is  cotton;  yonder,  bales  of  costly  silks,  and 
farther  on,  iron.  There  is  no  end  to  either  the  variety 
or  quantity  of  goods.  All  possible  and  impossible  things 
seem  here  brought  in  conjunction. 

But  let  us  take  a  look  at  the  shipping.  No  nation 
that  has  a  ship  is  unrepresented  here — no  part  of  the  earth 
that  has  a  seaport  but  may  be  visited  from  here  at  short 
notice.  Archangel  or  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  New  York 
or  Calcutta,  China  or  California,  St.  Petersburgh  or  the 
Guinea  Coast,  Valparaiso  or  Constantinople,  whither  will 
you  go  ?  Here  are  ships  for  all  and  many  more.  And 
this  is  only  one  of  the  smallest  of  her  docks.  Truly, 
he  who  visits  London  and  does  not  see  her  docks,  misses 
one  of  the  most  interesting  and  instructive  of  her  many 
sights. 


100  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

In  a  few  days  after  entering  tlie  docks,  we  began  to 
take  in  cargo  for  Boston.  We  had  determined  to  leave 
the  vessel,  but  found  many  sailors  ready  to  take  our 
places,  and  anxious  for  the  chance  even  to  work  their 
passage,  without  pay,  and  therefore  wisely  concluded  to 
hang  on  even  to  a  sinking  ship,  as  better  than  none  at  all. 

In  the  winter  season  sailors  have  hard  times  in  Lon- 
don. Shipping  is  dull  and  men  plenty,  and  very  fre- 
quently large  premiums  are  paid  for  chances  to  ship. 
Woe  to  the  poor  sailor  who  then  finds  himself  ashore, 
without  money  or  friends.  The  landlord  turns  him  out 
to  starve  or  beg,  and  he  sleeps  on  the  street,  or  worse  yet, 
in  the  straw-house  provided  for  indigent  sailors,  where 
they  may  be  seen,  on  cold  winter  evenings,  cowering 
under  the  wretched  litter,  trying  to  forget  their  hunger 
and  misery  in  sleep.  And  at  meal-times,  gaunt,  wasted 
forms  hover  about  the  forecastle,  casting  wishful  glances 
t  the  plenteous  meal  of  the  crew,  or  begging  for  pity's 
sake  for  a  morsel  of  bread  and  meat. 

Such  scenes  are  but  too  frequent  in  the  large  ports  of 
England,  when  commerce  is  not  very  brisk.  We  therefore 
gladly  retained  our  places  on  board,  hoping  for  better 
weather  on  the  homeward  passage. 

While  we  lay  in  the  docks,  a  British  vessel  hauled  in 
and  lay  along  side  of  us,  to  which  a  singular  story  of 
crime  attached,  which  was  at  that  time  dinned  into  every 
one's  ears  in  London  by  the  ballad-mongers,  who  found 
its  horrors  a  fruitful  source  of  pennies.  The  story,  as 
I  obtained  it  from  her  mate,  was  this : 

She  had  left  San  Francisco,  bound  for  London,  with  no 


THE    MERCHANT    VflS  S"B  Xi  i  . /'/'/    *tfyt'' 

cargo,  intending  to  procure  a  load  of  copper  on  the  coast 
of  Chili,  but  with  nearly  seventy-five  thousand  dollars  in 
gold  dust  and  bars,  in  the  lazerrete,  under  the  cabin. 
The  crew,  unfortunately,  knew  of  the  presence  of  this 
treasure  on  board,  and  from  this  arose  the  subsequent 
catastrophe. 

On  the  vessel's  first  arrival  at  San  Francisco,  all  her 
own  crew  had  left  her,  and  when  again  about  to  sail,  the 
captain  was  obliged  to  take  such  hands  as  he  could  get, 
principally  coast-rangers,  desperate  characters,  who  per- 
haps did  not  ship  in  her  without  a  purpose. 

All  went  quietly  until  the  vessel  had  got  nearly  to  the 
line,  and  was  distant  only  some  two  or  three  days  sail 
from  the  Gallapagos  Islands.  At  this  time  the  carpenter, 
who  was  the  only  man  of  the  crew  that  understood  the 
art  of  navigating  the  vessel,  was  approached  by  one  of 
the  hands,  with  proposals  to  mutiny,  kill  the  ofiicers, 
take  possession  of  the  vessel  and  her  treasure,  and,  scut- 
tling the  former  when  they  got  near  land,  leaving  her  for 
the  coast  of  Peru,  and  there  enjoying  their  ill-gotten 
booty. 

It  appeared  that  they  had  doubted  the  carpenter,  and 
had  left  him  out  of  their  counsels  while  the  arrangement 
of  the  matter  was  pending.  They  now,  only  at  the  last 
moment  previous  to  the  execution  of  their  project,  took 
him  into  their  confidence,  and  presented  to  him  the  alter- 
native to  partake  of  the  fate  of  the  officers,  or  join  them 
in  good  faith.  Overcome  by  surprise  and  terror,  he  re- 
luctantly submitted  to  become  one  of  them.  But  they 
did  not  trust  him  out  of  their  sight  again,  and  that  very 


:T;H2).M-ERCHANT    VESSEL. 

night,  in  tlie  mid-watch,  while  the  ship  was  sailing  along 
with  a  gentle  breeze,  their  fell  purpose  was  carried  into 
effect. 

It  was  the  mate's  watch  on  deck,  and  as  he  leaned 
drowsily  against  the  mizzen-mast,  he  was  approached 
from  behind  by  one  of  the  mutineers,  who  buried  an 
axe  in  his  head  and  left  him  for  dead. 

They  now  proceeded  to  get  the  captain  out  of  his  cabin. 
Throwing  a  large  coil  of  rigging  forcibly  down  on  the 
poop  deck,  was  the  means  resorted  to,  to  gain  their  pur- 
pose. It  succeeded,  for  scarce  a  minute  had  elapsed 
before  the  captain's  head  appeared  above  the  companion 
slide,  as  he  asked  what  was  meant  by  such  noise.  He 
had  hardly  uttered  the  question,  when  a  blow  upon  the 
head  with  an  iron  belaying  pin  silenced  him  forever. 
The  second  mate  was  in  like  manner  enticed  on  deck  and 
murdered. 

The  mutineers  had  now  possession  of  the  vessel.  They 
made  haste  to  pitch  overboard  the  bodies  of  the  mur- 
dered officers,  and  clear  away  the  gore  which  stained  the 
deck,  and  then  consulted  as  to  what  was  next  to  be  done. 
They  concluded  to  alter  their  original  plan,  sail  for  the 
Gallapagos,  and  land  there  on  one  of  the  uninhabited 
islands,  setting  the  ship  on  fire  before  they  left  her,  and 
thus  more  securely  destroy  all  trace  of  their  crime. 
They  would  then  divide  their  booty,  and  burying  it,  go  in 
their  boat  to  some  one  of  the  inhabited  isles,  in  the  guise 
of  shipwrecked  seamen,  and  thus  quiet  all  suspicions. 

This  plan  decided  upon,  the  carpenter,  who  had  been 
strictly   guarded  in   the   forecastle   while  the   scene  of 


THE    MERCHANT    TESSEL.  103 

murder  was  being  acted,  was  called  for.  On  approaching, 
lie  was  sent  to  the  wheel,  with  instructions  to  keep  the 
vessel  for  the  Gallapagos,  and  a  threat  of  instant  death  in 
case  of  disobedience. 

The  crew,  consisting  of  ten  hands,  now  proceeded  into 
the  cabin  to  hunt  up  the  gold,  which,  found,  was  placed 
in  convenient  sacks  for  carrying  off.  By  this  time  day- 
light began  to  appear,  and  as  the  first  excitement  wore 
off,  their  breasts  filled  with  remorse  at  what  they  had 
done. 

"Liquor,  liquor,  boys,"  said  one,  ** let's  drink  and  be 
merry;  there's  no  one  to  forbid."  The  captain's  rum 
was  produced,  and  ere  noon,  after  a  scene  of  uproarious 
jollity,  the  mutineers  lay  upon  the  decks  in  drunken 
stupor. 

All  this  time,  it  must  be  remembered,  the  poor  carpen- 
ter was  steering  the  vessel.  He  had  several  times 
shouted  to  one  or  other  his  desire  to  be  relieved,  but  in 
vain ;  and  when  the  drunken  orgies  began,  he  was  not 
sorry  to  be  at  the  helm,  as  this  was  sufficient  excuse  for 
not  joining  with  them. 

The  ten  wretched  men,  after  much  drunken  revelry, 
lay  asleep  upon  the  deck.  Chips  was  alone  on  board,  so 
far  as  the  possession  of  his  powers  was  concerned.  And 
now  a  dreadful  thought  of  vengeance  or  the  fate  of  the 
basely  assassinated  captain  filled  his  soul.  The  muti- 
neers were  at  his  mercy — should  he  not  in  turn  make 
way  with  them  ?  There  was  not  a  little  fear  that,  arri- 
ving at  their  destination,  and  having  no  longer  a  neces- 
sity for  him,  they  would  make  way  with  him,  to  prevent 


104  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

one  who  had  been  an  unwilling  and  inactive  looker  on 
in  the  fray  from  bringing  the  affair  before  the  world.  A 
proper  regard  for  his  own  safety,  therefore,  also  prompted 
the  carpenter  to  take  justice  in  his  own  hands. 

His  mind  was  soon  made  up.  Lashing  the  wheel  in 
such  manner  that  she  would  for  some  time  guide  herself, 
he  took  a  survey  of  those  who  in  the  last  few  hours  had 
sent  their  officers  to  their  last  accounts. 

'' ]'ll  do  it  —  I  must  —  I  will'  said  Chips.  He  went 
to  his  tool-chest  standing  on  the  half  deck,  and  took 
thence  a  large,  sharp,  glittering  broad-axe.  One  after 
another,  with  this  axe,  he  cut  off  ten  heads,  not  stopping 
till  the  last  headless  trunk  was  struggling  before  him, 
and  he  was  left  the  sole  living  person  on  board. 

Now  he  in  turn  cleared  away,  dragging  the  bodies  to 
the  gangway,  and  there  threw  them  overboard — a  tedious 
task.  This  done,  and  the  blood-stained  deck  once  more 
washed  off,  and  he  had  time  to  think.  He  was  alone  on 
board  a  large  vessel — no  one  but  he  to  steer,  to  make  or 
take  in  sail,  or  perform  the  multifarious  duties  incident 
to  the  sea,  such  as  trimming  the  sails  to  the  breeze,  etc. 
His  determination  was  soon  taken.  He  let  the  topsails 
run  down  on  the  caps,  clewed  up,  and  furled  as  well  as 
he  was  able,  the  top-gallant-sails  and  royals,  and  then 
lashing  the  helm  amidships,  so  trimmed  the  forward  and 
after  sails,  the  jibs  and  spanker,  as  to  make  her  move 
along  without  yawing  too  much.  He  had  previously  al- 
tered her  course  for  the  coast  of  Peru,  and  as  the  craft 
was  in  the  track  of  vessels  bound  to  the  southward,  and 
at  but  small  distance  from  the  Peruvian  shore,  he  felt 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  105 

confident  that  lie  would  be  either  fallen  in  with  by  some 
strange  vessel,  or  would  be  able  himself  to  take  the  ship 
into  Callao,  and  there  deliver  her  into  the  hands  of  the 
British  Consul. 

AYhat  may  have  been  his  feelings  when  he  found  him- 
self the  sole  occupant  of  the  vessel,  with  every  particular 
of  the  late  tragedy  fresh  before  him,  the  very  blood- 
stains not  yet  off  the  decks,  it  would  be  useless  to  at- 
tempt to  imagine. 

On  the  fifth  morning  after  the  mutiny,  the  ship  was 
spoken  by  a  British  vessel  just  out  of  Callao,  the  captain 
of  which  sent  on  board  two  men  to  assist  in  working  the 
craft,  giving  the  carpenter  likewise  the  course  and  dis- 
tance to  the  harbor.  In  two  days  more  he  had  the  sat- 
isfaction of  bringing  the  vessel  safely  to  anchor  in  Loren- 
zo Bay,  where  she  was  immediately  placed  in  charge  of 
the  British  Consul. 

The  carpenter  went  home  to  England  as  passenger  in 
another  vessel,  and  was  probably  amply  rewarded  by  the 
owners  for  his  faithful  services.  The  ship  was  sent  to 
London  by  the  consul,  and  arrived  there,  as  before  said, 
while  we  lay  in  the  docks. 

We  witnessed  on  board  her  a  most  singular  instance 
of  affection,  in  two  snakes  toward  their  master.  An 
American,  who  had  been  connected  with  some  of  the 
menageries  traveling  through  Chili  and  Peru,  and  had 
afterward  owned  a  collection  of  animals  himself,  in  Lima, 
found  the  business  not  to  pay,  and  determining  to  leave 
the  country,  had  engaged  a  cabin  passage  in  the  British 
ship. 


106  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

He  had  sold  out  his  animals,  all  but  two  large  ana- 
condas, one  thirteen,  the  other  seventeen  feet  long.  Tor 
these  the  British  captain  had  agreed  to  give  him  a  cabin 
passage  to  London,  and  one  hundred  dollars,  cash,  on  their 
arrival  there,  provided  the  snakes  were  then  alive.  They 
arrived  safe  and  sound,  and  were  duly  taken  ashore  by 
the  captain.  When  their  former  owner,  however,  asked 
for  the  hundred  dollars,  he  was  refused  it,  under  various 
pretences,  and  it  became  evident  that  the  captain,  having 
the  snakes  in  his  possession,  intended  to  keep  our  coun- 
tryman out  of  the  money  justly  due  him. 

The  American  was  much  distressed  at  this  turn  in  his 
affairs,  as  he  had  depended  on  this  sum  of  money  to  bear 
his  expenses  in  getting  back  to  the  United  States.  He 
consulted  our  officers  about  the  matter,  but  they  could  not 
show  him  any  way  to  help  himself  out  of  his  difficulties. 

This  matter  had  been  pendant  nearly  a  week  after  the 
ship  entered  the  dock,  when  one  morning  the  British  cap- 
tain was  heard  very  anxiously  inquiring  as  to  the  where- 
abouts of  Mr.  Eeynolds,  his  late  passenger.  It  appeared 
that  the  snakes  would  not  eat,  and  showed  other  symp- 
toms of  being  ill  at  ease  under  his  care,  and  he  enter- 
tained fears  that  they  would  die  before  he  could  dispose 
of  them.  He  therefore  came  in  quest  of  their  former 
owner,  to  ask  his  advice  and  assistance  in  setting  them 
right  again. 

It  now  for  the  first  time  occurred  to  the  latter  that  the 
animals  had  never  been  fed,  or  handled  even,  to  any 
extent,  by  any  one  but  him,  and  that  they  might  there- 
fore be   shy   of    strangers.      At   our   advice,    he   took 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  107 

advantage  of  this  state  of  affairs  to  secure  for  himself 
the  payment  of  the  sum  due  him,  making  it  the  condi- 
tion of  inducting  the  captain  into  way  of  taking  care 
of  the  snakes. 

At  his  suggestion,  the  chest  in  which  they  were  kept 
was  again  brought  on  board  the  vessel,  and  there,  in  her 
cabin,  in  the  presence  of  part  of  our  crew  and  a  number 
of  other  persons,  the  chest  was  opened,  he  remaining  on 
deck.  The  animals  lay  motionless  in  their  coils,  moving 
their  heads  sluggishly  once  in  a  while,  but  making  no 
effort  to  raise  themselves  up,  and  exhibiting  but  few  signs 
of  active  life. 

Mr.  Keynolds  now  came  down.  Hardly  had  he  gotten 
to  the  side  of  the  chest  when  the  snakes  darted  up, 
and  in  a  moment  were  hanging  their  huge  folds  about  his 
neck,  and  twisting  in  all  imaginable  ways  about  him, 
testifying  as  plainly  as  snakes  could,  their  great  joy  at 
seeing  once  more  their  old  master.  Before  he  left  them, 
they  had  swallowed  a  chicken  each,  and  seemed  as  lively 
as  it  was  in  their  nature  to  be. 

The  American  told  us,  by  way  of  accounting  for  their 
strange  affection,  that  he  had  caught  thera  when  quite 
young  in  the  jungle  in  Ceylon,  whither  he  had  gone  to 
procure  some  animals,  and  they  had  ever  since  been  under 
his  exclusive  care,  a  part  of  his  daily  business  in  Lima 
being  to  exhibit  them.  He  agreed  with  the  captain,  in 
consideration  of  being  paid  his  hundred  dollars,  to  remain 
with  them  a  sufficient  length  of  time  to  accustom  thera 
to  their  new  owner,  and  this  was  done.  This  was  a 
remarkable  proof  of  the  fact  that  serpents  have,  although 


108  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL! 

in  a  minor  degree,  the  feelings  of  affection  common  to  ani- 
mals of  a  higher  range  in  creation. 

The  reader  will  perhaps  desire  to  know  what  we,  the 
sailors,  saw  of  London.  As  the  dock -gates  close  at  seven, 
it  is  impossible  to  be  out  at  evening  without  remaining 
all  night,  which  involved  a  serious  expense,  for  our  lim- 
ited means.  Then  too  after  working  hard  all  day,  among 
casks,  bales,  and  boxes,  we  did  not  feel  in  the  mood  for 
sight-seeing  when  evening  came.  So  that  our  only  oppor- 
tunities of  viewing  the  city  were  the  Sundays,  and  the 
solitary  "  liberty  day  "  which  was  granted  us.  On  these 
occasions  we  saw  St.  Paul's,  ascended  the  London  monu- 
ment, (whence  we  saw  nothing  but  smoke,)  and  Hyde  Park, 
with  a  few  of  the  squares,  and  passed  several  times 
through  the  tunnel.  When  I  took  in  consideration  the 
vast  number  of  noteworthy  objects  of  which  I  saw  no 
more  than  though  I  had  not  been  in  London  at  all,  I 
was  almost  sorry  that  I  had  come,  and  had  certainly  to 
admit  to  myself  that  I  had  gone  a  very  hard  voyage  to 
very  little  purpose,  so  far  as  sight-seeing  was  concerned. 

When  we  found  that  we  should  have  to  make  the  re- 
turn passage  in  our  brig,  we  asked  the  captain  to  have 
her  bottom  caulked  before  taking  in  cargo,  that  she  might 
not  leak  so  when  she  got  to  sea.  This  he  refused  to  do, 
because,  in  the  first  place,  it  would  cost  money,  and  next, 
it  would  take  time,  and  he  had  neither  to  spare. 

"Besides,"  said  he,  ''we  shall  have  nothing  in  the 
lower  part  of  the  hold  that  will  damage."  In  his  sel- 
fishness he  gave  no  thought  to  the  wearisome  hours  that 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  109 

his  men  would  have  to  spend  at  the  pumps,  to  keep  the 
crazy  old  wreck  afloat. 

We  could  have  had  a  survey  called  upon  her,  in  which 
case,  should  the  surveyors  decide  her  to  need  repairs,  the 
captain  would  have  been  forced  to  make  them.  But  in 
such  cases  the  crew  always  labor  under  a  serious  disad- 
vantage. If  the  survey  is  called  for  by  them,  and  it 
should  be  decided  that  no  repairs  are  actually  needed, 
the  whole  expense  falls  upon  them,  making  a  far  too 
heavy  draft  upon  purses  by  no  means  plethoric.  And  as 
a  captain's  word  and  influence  generally  go  pretty  far 
with  the  surveyors,  all  the  chances  are  against  the  sailors. 
We  therefore  chose  rather  to  risk  another  laborious  pas- 
sage than  venture  to  call  a  survey. 

We  sailed  from  London  on  the  2d  of  March,  and  ar- 
rived in  Boston  on  the  2d  of  April,  our  voyage  lasting 
just  three  months.  I  had  seen  sufficient  of  cold  weather, 
had  gratified  a  desire  I  had  long  entertained,  to  make, 
myself,  the  experience  of  a  winter  trip  across  the  Atlan- 
tic, and  now  firmly  determined  that  my  future  life  at  sea 
should  be  passed  as  much  as  possible  in  warm  weather. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Ship  for  Calcutta— My  new  Ship — Preparations  for  an  India 
Voyage — Sail  from  Boston — Points  of  Difference  between 
Indiamen  and  other  Ships — Discipline — Work — Our  Crew — 
A  Character. 

Eemaining  in  Boston  two  weeks,  I  sailed  in  a.  large, 
comfortable  ship,  the  Akbar,  for  Calcutta.  The  wages 
were  twelve  dollars  per  month.  We  carried  seventeen 
hands  before  the  mast,  with  a  carpenter  and  sail-maker 
in  the  steerage,  besides  chief,  second,  and  third  mates. 

We  had  a  splendid  ship — neat,  clean,  and  plentifully 
supplied  with  stores  of  all  kinds.  Our  forecastle,  like 
those  of  most  Indiamen,  was  on  deck — what  is  called  a 
topgallant-forecastle — airy,  and  tolerably  roomy,  although, 
for  the  matter  of  room,  all  the  forward  deck  was  before  us, 
to  eat,  sleep,  or  play  upon.  It  was  understood  that  she 
was  to  be  a  watch-and- watch  ship,  and  we  expected  to 
have  a  pleasant  voyage — an  expectation  in  which  we  were 
not  disappointed. 

In  preparation  for  the  warm  weather  in  which  I  was  to 
live  for  the  next  year  or  two,  I  provided  myself  with  an 
abundance  of  blue  dungaree,  gave  my  ditty-box  a  thor- 
ough replenishing — laying  in  a  large  supply  of  needles, 
a  10) 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  HI 

thread,  tape,  buttons,  etc.,  and  procuring,  in  addition, 
duplicates  of  pretty  much  all  articles  that  a  sailor  needs 
on  board  ship,  such  as  knife,  palm,  sail-hook,  marlin- 
spike,  etc. 

We  sailed  from  Boston  on  a  beautiful  spring  morning, 
with  all  sail,  even  to  the  diminutive  skysail,  set — the 
admiration  of  a  crowd  of  tars  who  had  congregated  on  the 
wharf  to  bid  good-bye  to  their  shipmates. 

I  found  an  Indiaman  to  differ  in  many  things  from  the 
class  of  vessels  in  which  I  had  been  sailing  since  leaving 
the  Service.  Neatness  and  cleanliness,  as  regarded  both 
vessel  and  crew,  were  much  more  looked  after.  The 
decks  were  nicely  painted,  and  no  stain  of  tar  or  gi-ease 
was  allowed  to  disfigure  them.  The  rigging  was  fitted 
with  greater  care  than  common,  and  abundance  of  turk's- 
heads,  and  fancy  seizings  and  lashings  bore  witness  to 
the  sailorship  of  the  mates  and  crew  who  last  had  it  under 
their  charge.  No  clumsy  patch-work  was  to  be  seen  on 
any  of  the  sails — nothing  but  cloths  neatly  set  in,  to  re- 
place old  ones. 

The  mates,  too,  were  dressed  much  more  tastefully  than 
usual  with  the  officers  of  merchant- ships,  and  the  captain 
kept  up  a  certain  state  in  the  cabin — halving  a  boy  to  wait 
upon  him,  and  only  showing  himself  upon  deck  at  seven 
bells,  to  take  the  sun  or  to  get  an  observation,  but  never 
interfering  directly  with  the  working  of  the  ship.  In  fact, 
he  appeared  so  much  of  a  dandy  that  we  were  somewhat 
inclined  to  doubt  his  seamanship,  until,  in  the  first  gale 
we  experienced,  he  showed  himself  under  entirely  different 
colors,  and  casting  off  the  rather  effeminate  air  common 


112  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

to  him,  held  charge  of  the  deck,  and  worked  the  vessel  to 
the  admiration  of  all  hands. 

The  helmsman  was  expected  to  appear  in  neat  and  clean 
clothing,  and  had  half  an  hour  in  his  watch  on  deck 
allowed  him  wherein  to  change  his  suit,  and  prepare  him- 
self for  his  trick  at  the  wheel. 

As  the  voyage  was  to  last  much  longer  than  a  mere 
short  trip  to  Europe,  the  discipline  was  somewhat  stricter. 
Several  weeks  elapsed  before  all  was  arranged  for  the  long 
passage  to  Calcutta,  all  port-gear,  such  as  hawsers,  fen- 
ders, boat's  awnings,  etc.,  duly  repaired,  refitted,  and 
stowed  away  below,  and  all  the  necessary  chafing-gear  put 
on.  By  this  time  the  capabilities  of  the  crew  had  been 
pretty  well  ascertained,  and  henceforth  each  one  was  em- 
ployed in  the  department  for  which  he  was  best  qualified. 

I  was  chosen  by  the  mate,  in  whose  watch  I  was,  as  one 
of  the  sailmaker's  gang,  and  my  daily  work  was  laid  out 
for  me,  on  the  quarter-deck,  repairing  old  sails  and  awn- 
ings, and  making  new  ones.  A  facility  in  handling  a 
palm  and  needle,  and  working  about  sails,  is  one  of  the 
best  recommendations  a  seaman  can  have  to  the  good 
graces  of  a  mate.  And  as  sewing  on  sails  is  the  cleanest 
and  easiest  work  done  on  board  ship,  fortunate  is  he  who, 
when  bound  on  a  long  voyage,  is  taken  into  the  sailmaker's 
gang.  He  is  exempt  from  all  tarring  and  slushing,  except 
on  such  general  occasions  when  all  hands  tar  down  the 
rigging.  While  others  are  working  in  the  broiling  sun, 
on  deck,  or  perched  aloft,  hanging  on  by  their  eyelids,  he 
sits,  in  his  clean  white  frock,  under  the  quarter-deck 
awning,  and  quietly  plies  his  needle.     If  he  is,  besides,  a 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  113 

good  helmsman,  and  a  reliable  man  in  a  gale,  he  is  likely 
to  be  a  general  favorite,  and  to  lead  a  very  pleasant  sort 
of  existence — for  a  sailor. 

Every  ship,  bound  on  a  voyage  of  any  length,  carries 
at  least  three  complete  suits  of  sails — one  a  heavy  suit, 
to  be  donned  when  approaching  the  higher  latitudes, 
where  rough  winds  prevail;  a  second,  good,  but  lighter 
than  the  former,  which  to  carry  when  running  down  the 
trades,  or  sailing  in  latitudes  where  the  breezes  blow 
steadily  ;  and,  lastly,  an  old  suit,  of  little  worth,  which  is 
bent  on  approaching  the  line,  the  region  of  calms  and 
light  winds,  where  sails  are  more  quickly  worn  out  by 
slatting  against  inasts  and  rigging,  and  the  continual 
hauling  up  and  down  in  working  ship,  than  in  twice  the 
time  sailing  in  steady  breezes. 

Such  a  multitude  of  canvas  requires  endless  repairing, 
altering,  and  sewing  over.  New  sails  are  to  be  middle- 
stitched — that  is,  sewed  down  the  middle  of  each  seam — 
which  materially  adds  to  their  strength  and  durability. 
Old  ones  need  new  cloths,  or,  perhaps,  are  ripped  to 
pieces,  and  sewed  together  anew.  Some  are  cut  up,  and 
transformed  into  awnings  or  lighter  sails — rand,  altogether, 
there  is  sufficient  work  of  the  kind  to  keep  a  gang  of  four 
or  five  busy  the  entire  voyage. 

As  to  the  rigging,  that  needs  never-ceasing  attention 
to  keep  it  in  the  perfect  order  required  on  board  a  fancy 
East  Indiaman.  A  large  part  of  our  outward  passage 
was  consumed  in  making  spun  yarn  and  marline,  for  which 
purpose  a  neat  little  iron  wincL  had  been  provided,  much 
better  than  the  rude  wooden  contrivance  fastened  to  a 
8 


114  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

bit-head  and  turned  with  a  rope's  end,  which  is  usually 
seen  on  board  ship.  Then  the  spun  yarn  was  to  be  made 
up  into  sword-mats  and  paunch-mats,  suitable  for  various 
parts  of  the  rigging,  where  the  yards  are  likely  to  chafe. 
What  with  this,  and  re-fitting  and  setting  up  various 
parts  of  the  rigging,  our  crew  found  plenty  of  work  to 
their  hands,  and  hai  no  idle  time  when  on  deck. 

In  our  watch  below,  there  were  clothes  to  make,  in  pre- 
paration for  the  warm  weather  of  the  Indies,  and  books 
to  read,  of  which  our  crew  fortunately  had  a  good  sup- 
ply— rather  better,  in  regard  to  quality,  too,  than  are 
generally  found  in  a  forecastle.  And  when  tired  of 
this,  there  was  an  infinity  of  fancy  work,  such  as  beckets 
for  chests,  hammock  lashings  and  clews,  and  various  other 
contrivances,  more  for  show  than  use,  on  which  to  employ 
our  spare  time,  and  exert  our  skill  at  the  numberless 
knots  and  curious  plaits  in  which  your  true  East  India 
sailor  takes  so  much  delight. 

Busied  thus,  on  deck  and  below,  with  a  staunch  ship 
under  us,  kind  officers,  and  good  living,  we  were  a  tolera- 
bly happy  set.  We  were  not  either  without  matter  for 
amusement.  An  occasional  game  at  checkers  or  back- 
gammon, or  a  general  gathering  in  the  last  dog-watch  to 
play  '*  Priest  of  the  Parish,"  served  to  enliven  the  time. 
Some  of  our  shipmates,  too,  were  characters — queer  fel- 
lows— and  of  course  were  duly  studied  and  commented 
on.  Not  the  least  among  these  oddities,  who  are  to  be 
found  in  almost  every  vessel,  was  an  old  English  sailor, 
whose  growling  and  fault-finding  spirit  made  us  dislike 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  115 

him  at  first,  until  we  found  what  a  kind  and  genial  heart 
was  hidden  beneath  the  rough  exterior. 

The  British  sailor  is  a  grumbler  by  nature.  Place  him 
where  you  will — or  even  where  he  himself  most  desires  to 
be — give  him  all  that  the  heart  can  wish  for,  and  he  will 
grumble.  In  fact,  the  only  way  to  make  him  happy  is  to 
give  him  plenty  to  eat  and  drink,  plenty  of  hard  work, 
and  an  unlimited  privilege  of  growling.  This  is  his  chief 
happiness,  and  he  is  never  so  well  pleased  as  when  he  has 
made  every  one  about  him  uncomfortable.  Withal,  there 
is,  it  must  be  said,  no  better  seaman  to  be  found ;  he  de- 
lights to  be  first  in  every  place  of  duty ;  there  is  no 
more  trustworthy  fellow  than  he  in  a  gale — no  better 
helmsman,  nor  more  practised  leadsman,  than  Johnny 
Bull. 

Allow  him  only  his  darling  privilege  of  growling  at 
you,  and  he  will  do  all  that  mortal  man  can  to  serve  you. 
Cursing  you  for  a  worthless,  shiftless  fellow,  he  gladly 
divides  with  you  the  last  rag  of  his  scanty  wardrobe. 
Ask  him  for  a  needleful  of  thread,  and  he  fretfully  flings 
a  whole  skein  at  you,  with  an  air  under  which  not  the 
most  practised  physiognomist  could  detect  the  pleasure 
which  it  really  gives  him  to  be  of  any  assistance. 

So,  too,  on  deck ;  let  him  have  the  very  best  of  the 
work,  and  he  will  growl ;  and  should  he — a  most  improba- 
ble thing — have  no  fault  to  find  on  his  own  account,  he 
straightway  takes  up  the  cause  of  some  one  else,  and 
expends  his  powers  on  the  imaginary  grievance  of  a  ship- 
mate. This  petulant  spirit  is  not  liked  in  American 
ships,  and  many  captains  will  not  have  British  sailors  at 


116  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

all.  In  fact,  there  is  no  reason  in  their  grumbling.  Half 
starved  and  badly  treated  in  their  own  ships,  they  gladly 
avail  themselves  of  any  chance  to  leave  them,  and  enter 
on  board  a  "  Yankee."  But  no  sooner  are  they  here  than 
they  grumble  at  the  very  privileges  they  enjoy,  and  are 
ceaseless  in  their  regrets  at  having  left  their  own  flag.  To 
such  an  extent  is  this  carried,  that  ''  To  growl  like  a 
Lime-juicer,^'^''  has  become  a  proverb  among  American 
sailors. 

The  owners  of  the  vessel,  who  had  themselves  made 
choice  of  the  crew,  had  used  especial  care  to  ship  no 
Englishmen ;  but  one  had  slipped  himself  in  among  us, 
unknown  to  them,  and  we  were  not  long  out  when  his 
constitutional  infirmity  broke  out.  A  kinder  hearted  or 
more  crabbed  fellow  than  George  never  lived.  No  one 
could  have  been  readier  to  confer  a  favor,  and  truly  no 
one  could  have  done  it  with  a  worse  grace. 

The  first  head  wind  was  a  fit  occasion  for  him  to  give 
vent  to  the  accumulated  spleen  of  several  weeks.  Coming 
on  deck  and  finding  the  yards  braced  sharp  up,  he  solemnly 
shook  his  fist  to  the  windward,  and  apostrophized  the 
breeze  somewhat  as  follows : 

'*  Aye !  I  knew  it ;  a  head  wind,  and  here  we'll  be  beat- 
ing about  for  the  next  six  months,  without  getting  as  far 
as  the  line — as  though  you  couldn't  blow  from  anywheres 


** "  Lime-juicers"  British  sailors  are  called,  from  the  fact  that, 
on  board  English  vessels,  the  law  requires  that  the  crews  be 
furnished  with  a  weekly  allowance  of  the  extract  of  limes  or 
lemons,  as  a  preventive  of  scurvy. 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  117 

dse  but  the  south'ard,  just  because  we  want  to  steer  that 
way.  But  it's  just  my  luck;  it  serves  me  right  for 
coming  on  board  a  bloody  Yankee." 

It  was  not  three  days  afterwards  when,  on  the  return 
of  a  fair  wind,  and  a  consequent  setting  of  studding-sails, 
George  was  heard  to  declare  that  he  never  saw  such  a 
ship  for  fair  winds  in  his  life,  and  he  made  a  solemn  vow 
— forgotten  the  next  moment — that  if  she  carried  him 
once  to  Calcutta,  she  might  have  fair  winds  forever,  for 
him — he'd  leave  her. 

So  it  was  with  everything.  Now  he  would  lose  his 
twine  in  the  folds  of  the  sail  upon  which  he  was  working, 
and  would  grumble  at  it  for  ten  minutes  after  finding  it, 
giving  it  an  impatient  kick  with  his  foot  at  the  close  of 
the  harangue,  which  sent  it  flying  to  the  other  side  of  the 
deck,  furnishing  him  occasion  for  another  growl  in  getting 
up  to  get  it.  Again,  he  could  not  find  at  hand  some  little 
article  for  which  he  had  looked  in  his  chest,  and  he  fret- 
fully declared  it  was  "like  a  Neapolitan  box,  every  thing 
atop,  and  nothing  at  hand." 

The  lobscouse,  which  formed  our  morning  meal,  was 
always  either  underdone  or  burnt  up,  for  George ;  the 
coffee  was  either  too  hot,  or  cold  as  dishwater  ;  the  pork 
all  fat,  and  the  beef  all  lean — in  short,  he  had  a  singular 
and,  to  me,  somewhat  comic  way  of  looking  continually  at 
the  dark  side  of  life. 

Our  crew,  who  could  not,  or  would  not,  look  beneath 
the  shell  of  ill- nature,  with  which  he  thus  covered  him- 
self, took  his  mutterings  as  the  real  sentiments  of  the 
man,   and   soon   grew  to  dislike  him  to  some  extent, 


118  THE    MEECHANT    VESSEL. 

although  his  known  qualities  as  a  staunch  seaman  secured 
him  their  respect;  and  many  disagreeable  altercations 
occurred  in  consequence.  To  me  he  was  a  study,  and,  aa 
serving  to  relieve  the  monotony  of  our  every  day  life,  a 
very  interesting  one. 

Such  being  the  case,  we  soon  became  friends  an 
chums,  much  to  the  surprise  of  our  shipmates,  who  were 
at  a  loss  to  know  what  Charley  could  fancy  in  that  *'  growl- 
ing old  Lime-juicer."  As  his  particular  friend,  I  of  course 
came  in  for  an  extra  share  of  his  petulancy.  He  was  by 
many  years  my  senior,  and  took  upon  himself  to  regulate 
all  my  conduct.  He  perseveringly  found  fault  with  all  I 
did  and  did  not,  and  was  continually  endeavoring  to  con- 
vince me  that  I  was  a  mere  boy — a  know-nothing,  so  far 
as  sailor-craft  was  concerned.  Yet  let  any  one  else  pre- 
sume to  speak  slightingly  of  me,  and  George  would  turn 
upon  him  with  a  snarl,  productive  of  speedy  silence. 

He  was  the  oldest  seaman  on  board,  and  had  many,  to 
me  highly  interesting,  experiences  to  relate  of  his  roving 
life.  He  had  passed  many  years  in  the  East  Indies,  sail- 
ing out  of  Calcutta  and  Bombay,  in  the  ''  country  ships,'* 
and  in  the  Company's  service.  In  common  with  most 
East  India  sailors,  he  had  been  engaged  in  the  opium 
traffic,  having  been  several  times  nearly  captured  by 
the  mardarin  boats,  which  act  as  river  police  on  Canton 
river.  Like  most  of  his  class,  he  entertained  a  supreme 
contempt  for  John  Chinaman,  believing  him  to  be  con- 
stitutionally a  swindler  and  a  cheat,  for  whom  there  was 
no  redemption. 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  119 

It  was  on  a  starlight  mid-watch,  as  we  were  pacing  the 
deck  together,  that  I  became  the  repository  of  a  story  of 
opium  smuggling,  which  I  will  here  transcribe,  although 
not  exactly  in  his  own  words. 

I  must  premise  that  my  chum  had  been  in  that  busi- 
ness previous  to  the  British  war  in  China.  At  that  time 
the  Chinese  revenue  officers  were  much  more  strict  than 
they  have  dared  to  be  since.  Then  they  attacked  the 
vessels  which  brought  the  opium  to  the  coast,  while  now 
they  confine  their  vigilance  solely  to  the  wretched  Chi- 
nese who  smuggle  the  contraband  article  from  the  depot 
ship  to  the  shore. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

A  Yarn  of  Opinm  Smuggling — The  Vessel — The  Captain — Meet 
Mandarin  Boats — The  Fight — The  Cook's  Scalding  Water — 
The  Breeze  springs  up — The  Repulse. 

"  I  HAD  just  returned,''  said  George,  "  from  a  voyage 
to  Cocliin,  on  the  Malabar  coast,  after  cocoa-nut  oil,  when 
a  shipmate  put  it  into  my  head  to  take  another  trip  in  an 
opium- trader.  There  was  just  then  lying  in  the  river  one 
of  the  prettiest  little  craft  that  was  ever  in  that  business, 
and  you  know  they  are  all  clippers.     She  was  called  the 

A ,  and  had  only  come  out  from  Boston  about  six 

months  before.  With  her  low  black  hull,  tall  rakish 
masts,  and  square  yards,  she  was  a  regular  beauty,  just 
such  a  vessel  as  it  does  an  old  tar's  heart  good  to  set  eyes 
on — though  for  the  matter  of  comfort,  keep  me  out  of 
them,  for  what  with  their  scrubbing  and  scouring  in  port, 
and  their  carrying  on  sail  at  sea,  to  make  a  good  pas- 
sage, and  half  drowning  the  crew,  there's  very  little  peace 
on  board  of  them.  After  all,"  said  George,  abating  a 
little  of  his  usual  snarl,  "  it  takes  you  Yankees  to  turn 
out  the  clippers.  Why,  I  never  saw  any  Scotch  clipper 
that  could  begin  to  look  up  to  that  craft. 

"  We  went  aboard  to  take  a  look  at  the  beauty,  and 
a20) 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  121 

before  we  left  her  had  shipped  for  the  voyage.  The  cap- 
tain was  a  lank  West  Indian,  a  nervous  creature,  who 
looked  as  though  he  never  was  quiet  a  moment,  even  in 
his  sleep — and  we  afterwards  found  he  didn't  belie  his 
looks. 

''After  taking  a  cruise  around  Calcutta  for  a  couple  of 
days,  we  went  on  board,  bag  and  hammock  (for  no  chests 
were  allowed  in  the  forecastle) .  Our  pay  was  to  be  eighty 
rupees  per  month,  with  half  a  month's  advance.  The 
vessel  was  well  armed,  having  two  guns  on  a  side,  besides 
a  long  Tom  amidships.  Boarding  pikes  were  arranged  in 
great  plenty  on  the  rack  around  the  mainmast,  and  the 
large  arm-chest  on  the  quarter  deck  was  well  supplied 
with  pistols  and  cutlasses.  We  were  fully  prepared  for  a 
brush  with  the  rascally  Chinese,  and  determined  not  to 
be  put  out  of  our  course  by  one  or  two  Mardarin  boats. 

*'  We  sailed  up  the  river  some  miles,  to  take  in  our 
chests  of  opium,  and  having  them  safely  stowed  under 
hatches,  proceeded  to  sea.  With  a  steady  wind,  we  were 
soon  outside  of  the  Sand-Heads,  the  pilot  left  us,  and  we 
crowded  on  all  sail,  with  favoring  breezes,  for  the  Straits 
of  Malacca.     If  ever  a  vessel  had  canvas  piled  on  her, 

it  was  the  A .     Our  topsails  were  fully  large  ienough 

for  a  vessel  of  double  her  tonnage.  We  carried  about  all 
the  flying-kites  that  a  vessel  of  her  rig  has  room  for. 
Sky  sails,  royal-studdingsails,  jibejib,  staysails  alow  and 
aloft,  and  even  watersails,  and  save-alls,  to  fit  beneath  the 
foot  of  the  topsails.  Altogether,  we  were  prepared  to 
show  a  clean  pair  of  heels  to  any  craft  that  sailed  those 
waters. 


183  THE    MERCHANT    YESSEL. 

''  She  steered  like  a  top,  but  our  nervous  skipper,  who 
was  not  for  a  moment,  day  nor  night,  at  rest,  but  ever 
driving  the  vessel,  had  one  of  those  compasses  in  the 
binnacle,  the  bottom  of  which  being  out,  shows  in  the 
cabin  just  how  the  vessel's  head  is  at  any  moment.  Under 
this  compass,  on  the  transom,  the  old  man  used  to  lay 
himself  down,  when  he  pretended  to  sleep  (for  we  never 
believed  that  he  really  slept  a  wink)  ;  and  the  vessel 
could  not  deviate  a  quarter  of  a  point  of  her  course,  or, 
while  we  were  on  the  wind,  the  royals  could  not  lift 
in  the  least,  before  he  was  upon  the  helmsman,  cursing 
and  swearing  like  a  trooper,  and  making  as  much  fuss  as 
though  she  had  yawed  a  point  each  way. 

**  It  was  the  season  of  the  southwest  monsoon,  and  of 
course  we  had  nearly  a  head  wind  down  through  the 
Malacca  Strait.  But  our  little  craft  could  go  to  windward, 
making  a  long  tack  and  a  short  one,  nearly  as  fast  as 
many  an  old  cotton  tub  can  go  before  the  wind. 

*'  Our  crew  consisted  of  seventeen  men — all  stout,  able 
fellows.  There  were  no  boys  to  handle  the  light  sails, 
and  it  was  sometimes  neckbreaking  work  to  shin  up  the 
tall  royal  mast  when  skysails  were  to  be  furled,  or  royal- 
studd'nsail-gear  rove.  We  had  but  little  to  do  on  board. 
To  mend  a  few  sails  and  steer  the  vessel,  was  the  sum 
total  of  our  duty,  and  as  we  had  plenty  of  good  books  to 
read,  those  who  were  inclined  that  way  had  fine  times. 
The  rest  spent  their  time  playing  at  backgammon  and 
cards,  in  the  forecastle.  On  board  these  vessels  the  men 
are  wanted  mainly  to  work  ship  expeditiously,  when  ne- 
cessary, and,  in  those  days,  to  defend  her  against  the 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  123 

attacks  of  the  Chinese  oflScers,  whose  duty,  but  ill- 
fulfilled,  it  was  to  prevent  the  smuggling  of  opium  into  the 
country. 

"  Once  past  Singapore,  and  fairly  in  the  China  Sea,  we 
had  a  fair  wind,  and,  with  all  studdingsails  set,  made  a 
straight  wake  for  the  mouth  of  Canton  river.  As  we 
neared  the  Chinese  coast,  preparations  were  made  for 
repelling  any  possible  attacks.  Cutlasses  were  placed  on 
the  quarter-deck,  ready  for  use,  pistols  loaded,  and  board- 
ing-nettings rigged,  to  trice  up  between  the  rigging,  some 
ten  feet  above  the  rail,  thus  materially  obstructing  any 
attempts  to  board  the  vessel  when  they  were  triced  up. 
While  not  in  use  these  nettings  were  of  course  lowered 
down,  out  of  the  way  of  the  sails. 

"  It  did  not  take  our  little  clipper  many  days  to  cross 
the  China  Sea.  We  had  passed  the  Ass's  Ears,  the  first 
land-fall  for  China-bound  vessels,  approaching  the  coast 
by  this  way,  and  were  just  among  the  Ladrone  Islands,  a 
little  group  lying  in  front  of  Canton  Bay,  and  which  is 
the  great  stronghold  of  the  Chinese  pirates — when  we 
beheld,  starting  out  from  under  the  land,  two  of  the  long 
Mandarin  boats.  They  appeared  to  know  our  craft, 
or  to  suspect  her  business,  for  they  steered  straight 
toward  us. 

"  AVith  the  immense  force  they  have  at  the  oars,  it  did 
not  take  them  long  to  get  within  gun-shot  range,  which 
was  no  sooner  the  case  than  our  skipper,  taking  good  aim, 
let  fly  a  shot  from  Long  Tom  in  their  midst.  This  evi- 
dence of  our  readiness  for  them  took  them  all  aback,  and 
after  consulting  together  for  a  little,  they  showed  them- 


124  THE    MERCHANT    TESSEL. 

selves  to  be  possessed  of  tte  better  part  of  valor — pru- 
dence— by  retreating  to  their  lurking  place,  behind  the. 
land. 

''  Our  skipper  heartily  hated  a  Chinaman,  and  consid- 
ered it  no  more  crime  to  shoot  one  than  to  kill  a  mad  dog. 
He  therefore  had  no  compunctions  of  conscience  about 
firing  into  them  whenever  they  showed  themselves  inclined 
to  molest  him.  He  was  an  old  cruiser  in  those  waters, 
having  passed  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  the  Indies, 
and  knew  that  nothing  was  so  apt  to  beat  off  the  cowardly 
Mandarins  as  a  show  of  resolute  resistance,  and  a  full 
state  of  preparation.  We  knew,  therefore,  that  so  long 
as  we  were  in  clear  water,  and  had  a  good  breeze,  there 
was  but  little  to  be  feared  from  them.  The  only  danger 
was,  in  case  we  should  be  becalmed  when  we  got  under 
the  lee  of  the  land,  as  they  would  be  keeping  a  constant 
watch  upon  us,  and  in  such  a  case  would  no  doubt  make 
a  desperate  rush  upon  us,  and  perhaps  capture  us  by  mere 
superiority  of  numbers. 

*' '  But  you  all  know  the  penalty,  boys,  and  it's  better 
to  die  at  your  guns,  than  be  squeezed  to  death  by  those 
fellows,'  said  the  captain. 

**As  may  be  imagined,  we  were  all  determined  to  defend 
ourselves  to  the  last ;  even  the  black  cook  kept  his  largest 
boiler  constantly  on  the  galley  stove,  filled  with  boiling 
water,  wherewith  to  give  the  rascals  a  warm  salute, 
should  they  endeavor  to  board. 

Nowadays,  since  the  Chinese  war,  the  opium  is  in  most 
cases  transferred  from  the  smuggling  vessels  to  large 
ships  which  lie  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  principally 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  125 

near  Lintin  Island,  as  depot  vessels,  whence  again  it  is 
smuggled  on  shore  by  the  Chinese  opium  boats,  whose 
crews  run  the  greatest  risk  of  all,  as  the  mandarin 
boats  are  at  all  times  on  watch  for  them.  They  are  a 
desperate  set,  and  have  frequent  encounters  with  the 
mandarins,  when  no  mercy  is  shown  on  either  side,  the 
smugglers,  however,  generally  gaining  the  day. 

''  In  the  days  of  which  I  am  telling  you,  however,  there 
were  no  depot  ships,  and  every  captain  had  to  get  rid  of 
his  own  cargo  as  best  he  could.  Those  were  the  times 
in  which  opium  smugglers  scarcely  expected  to  land  a 
cargo  without  a  skirmish  of  some  kind. 

"  What  we  had  feared,  shortly  came  to  pass.  In  less 
than  two  hours  after  we  had  seen  the  boats,  we  lay 
becalmed  under  the  land.  The  little  vessel  was  perfectly 
unmanageable,  drifting  at  the  mercy  of  the  current. 
Had  we  been  far  enough  in  shore,  we  should  have  anch- 
ored. As  it  was,  we  could  neither  anchor,  nor  could  we 
manage  the  vessel,  to  turn  her  broadside  toward  an  ene- 
my, should  such  appear.  Luckily,  long  Tom  could  be 
turned  any  way,  and  with  his  aid  we  thought  to  keep 
off  our  assailants. 

**  It  was  not  long  before  these  made  their  appearance. 
They  had  in  the  meantime  obtained  reinforcements,  and 
four  large  boats,  containing  from  sixty  to  a  hundred  men 
each,  now  shot  out  from  under  the  land,  and  came  toward 
us  with  rapid  sweeps.  We  did  not  wait  for  them  to 
come  to  close  quarters,  but  sent  some  shots  at  them  from 
long  Tom.  These,  however,  did  not  deter  them.  The 
calm   had  given  them  courage,  and  after  discharging 


126  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

their  swivels  at  us,  with  the  hope  of  crippling  the  vessel, 
bj  hitting  some  of  our  tophamper  —  an  expectation  in 
which  they  were  disappointed — they  rushed  to  the 
onslaught. 

"  We  now  rapidly  triced  up  our  boarding  nettings,  and 
lying  down  under  shelter  of  the  low  rail,  awaited  the 
attack.  The  boarding  nets  they  were  evidently  unpre- 
pared for,  as  at  sight  of  them  they  made  a  short  halt. 
This  the  old  man  took  advantage  of,  and  taking  good 
aim,  let  drive  long  Tom  at  them,  and  luckily  this  time 
with  good  effect,  knocking  a  hole  in  one  of  the  boats,  and 
evidently  wounding  some  of  her  crew.  Taking  this  as  a 
signal  to  advance,  and  leaving  the  disabled  boat  to  shift 
for  itself,  the  remaining  three  now  rapidly  advanced  to 
board.  The  wise  scoundrels,  taking  advantage  of  the 
unmanageableness  of  our  vessel,  came  down  immediately 
ahead,  to  board  us  over  the  bow,  a  position  where,  they 
well  knew,  they  were  secure  from  the  shot  of  our  two 
light  guns,  which  could  only  be  fired  from  the  broadside. 
Cocking  our  pistols,  and  laying  the  boarding  pikes  down 
at  our  sides,  ready  for  instant  use,  we  waited  for  them. 

"  Directly,  twenty  or  thirty  leaped  upon  the  low  bow- 
sprit, some  rushing  to  the  nettings  with  knives  to  cut  an 
entrance.  We  took  deliberate  aim  and  fired,  about  a 
dozen  falling  back  into  the  boats  as  the  result  of  our  first 
and  only  shot.  Dropping  the  firearms,  we  now  took  to 
the  pikes,  and  rushed  to  the  bow.  Here  the  battle  was 
for  some  minutes  pretty  fierce,  and  a  rent  having  been 
made  in  the  boarding  net,  the  Chinamen  rushed  to  it  like 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  127 

tigers.  But  as  fast  as  they  came  in  thej  were  piked  and 
driven  back. 

* 'Meantime,  one  of  the  boats  had  silently  dropped  along- 
side, and  ere  we  were  aware  of  it,  her  crew  were  about 
boarding  us  in  the  rear.  But  here  the  doctor  (the  pet 
name  for  the  cook)  was  prepared  for  them,  and  the  first 
that  showed  their  heads  above  the  rail,  received  half  a 
bucket  full  of  scalding  water  in  their  faces,  which  sent 
them  back  to  their  boat,  howling  with  pain. 

"  That's  it,  doctor,  give  it  to  them,"  shouted  the  old 
man,  who  seemed  to  be  quite  in  his  element.  And  he 
rushed  down  off  the  poop,  whither  he  had  gone  for  a 
moment  to  survey  the  contest,  and  taking  a  bucket  full 
of  the  boiling  water  forward,  threw  it  in  among  the  Chi- 
namen who  were  there  yet  obstinately  contesting  the  pos- 
session of  the  bow.  With  a  howl  of  mixed  pain  and 
surprise,  they  retreated,  and  we  succeeded  in  fairly  driv- 
ing them  back  into  the  boats. 

"  A  portion  of  us  had  before  this  gone  to  the  assistance 
of  the  cook  at  the  side,  and  had  succeeded  in  keeping 
them  a+  bay  there.  To  tell  the  truth,  the  hot  water 
frightened  them  more  than  anything  else,  and  the  boat's 
crew  along  side  required  all  the  urging  of  their  manda- 
rin officer  to  make  them  charge  at  all. 

*'  Luckily,  at  this  moment  a  squall,  which  had  been  for 
some  time  rising,  broke  upon  us,  and  the  brig  began  to 
forge  ahead  through  the  water.  A  more  fortunate  thing 
could  not  have  occurred.  With  a  shout  of  victory,  we 
made  a  final  rush  at  our  assailants,  and  drove  them  back 
to  their  boats,  which  cutting  adrift,  and  giving  the  one 


128  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

along  side  a  parting  salute  of  half  a  dozen  sliot  in  her 
bottom,  thrown  in  by  hand,  we  left  them.  Our  captain 
now  strongly  desired  to  turn  aggressor,  and  at  least  run 
down  one  or  two  of  them,  but  ^^rudential  considerations 
prevented  him  from  committing  the  rather  wanton 
destruction  of  life  which  this  would  have  involved.  For 
there  was  danger  that  the  breeze  would  again  subside, 
and  we  be  exposed  to  a  second  attack  of  the  Chinamen, 
which  was  far  from  desirable.  We  therefore  made  the 
best  of  our  way  from  the  scene  of  action,  steering  toward 
Lintin  Bay,  where  we  were  so  fortunate  as  to  meet  a  little 
fleet  of  opium  boats,  who  quickly  relieved  us  of  our  cargo, 
and  we  were  no  farther  molested  by  the  mandarins,  who 
had  probably  gotten  a  surfeit  of  fighting,  an  amusement 
they  are  not  very  fond  of. 

"  But  the  old  man  vowed  that  the  next  time  he  was 
attacked  he  would  have  no  mercy ;  a  threat  which  he 
fulfilled  on  his  very  next  voyage,  when  he  sailed  into 
Macao  Koads  with  a  Chinaman  hanging  at  each  yard- 
arm,  after  having  run  down  two  mandarin  boats  and 
destroyed  them,  probably  drowning  most  of  the  crew." 

"  '  But  what  arms  did  the  Chinamen  use  to  attack  you  ?* 
asked  I  of  George. 

**  Principally  long  knives,  with  which  they  out  right 
and  left;  but  not  the  least  eficctive  of  their  weapons 
were  large  stones,  of  which  their  boats  seemed  to  have  an 
almost  inexhaustible  supply,  and  which  were  handed  up 
to  those  who  had  obtained  a  footing  upon  the  bowsprit, 
and  thence  hurled  in  our  midst.  Several  of  our  men 
received  severe  bruises  from  these  missiles.     By  keeping 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  129 

them  from  close  fighting  by  means  of  our  pikes,  we  pre- 
vented them  from  doing  much  execution  with  their  knives. 
We  had  no  less  than  seven  men  wounded  in  the  encounter, 
but  fortunately  no  one  was  dangerously  hurt.  We  freely 
awarded  the  credit  of  our  victory  to  the  cook,  whose  hot 
water  did  more  to  discourage  our  assailants  than  either 
our  firearms  or  pikes. 

"As  soon  as  we  discharged  our  cargo,  we  proceeded  on 
our  return  passage  to  Calcutta.  It  was  on  this  trip  that 
we  were  dismasted  in  a  typhoon,  in  the  China  sea.  Of 
this  I  will  tell  you  some  other  time,  for  it's  nearly  eight 
bells,  and  we'll  heave  the  log  directly  and  turn  in." 

We  had  again  sailed  through  the  pleasant  south-east 
trades,  again  rounded  the  Cape,  encountering  there  the 
usual  storm,  and  were  well  on  our  way  to  Calcutta  when 
the  above  yam  was  spun.  I  must  say  that  I  enjoyed 
this  trip  much  more  than  the  one  I  had  previously  made 
through  these  waters  in  a  vessel  of  war.  A  seventy-four 
gun  ship  is  much  too  large  to  be  made  a  home  of.  One 
lives  too  much  in  public,  as  it  were,  and  there  are  so 
many  hands  that  one  never  gets  intimately  acquainted 
with  all.  On  board  the  Akbar  we  were  by  this  time 
all  perfectly  at  home  with  one  another,  and  were  indeed 
like  a  band  of  brothers. 

Then,  the  merchant  vessel,  with  her  smaller  crew,  has 
many  conveniences  and  comforts  which  the  man-of-war 
sailor  is  forced  to  do  without.  And  the  very  work  which 
he  is  obliged  to  perform,  the  being  constantly  busy  when 
upon  decks,  makes  the  luxury  of  a  free  watch  below  all 
the  more  welcome. 


130  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

While  beating  up  the  southeast  trades,  we  all  used  to 
sleep  on  deck.  From  six  till  eight,  the  last  dog-watch, 
was  generally  devoted  to  singing  and  yarning,  and  after 
that  all  hands  brought  out  their  pea-jackets,  mats,  and 
rugs,  and  gathering  in  a  little  knot,  lay  down  and  talked 
themselves  to  sleep.  Secure  that  the  wind  would  neither 
increase  nor  decrease,  nor  change,  we  slept  soundly  all 
night,  only  roused  by  the  mates,  who  were  not  unfre- 
quently  obliged  to  wake  up  all  hands,  in  order  to  find 
out  whose  wheel  it  was.  Happy  he  who  had  no  trick  at 
the  wheel  all  night.  He  could  rest  securely  as  though 
in  his  bed  at  home.  The  landsman  who  has  been  all  his  life 
accustomed  to  his  undisturbed  night^s  rest  after  the  day's 
duties  and  fatigues,  can  form  no  idea  of  the  feeling  of 
luxurious  abandon  with  which  a  sailor  closes  his  eyes  on 
such  an  occasion,  when  an  uninterrupted  sleep  of  six  or 
eight  hours  is  almost  a  certainty,  and  his  mind  is  bereft 
of  all  fear  of  being  called  out  to  tack  ship  or  reef  top- 
sails. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Merchant  Seaman's  Sunday  —  Growling  George  and  I 
become  Chums  —  Catching  Fish  —  Porpoise  Meat  —  A  Storm 
off  the  Cape — The  Sand-Heads — The  Hoogley — George  and  I 
determine  to  leave  the  Ship — The  Pilots — Calcutta. 

To  the  merchant  sailor,  Sunday  is  a  day  of  peculiar 
enjoyment.  After  six  days  of  unintermitted  labor, 
working,  too,  among  tar  and  slush,  and  all  manner  of 
dirt,  having  no  time  for  shaving  or  washing,  and  no 
chance  to  keep  on  clean  clothes,  the  Sabbath  comes  in  as 
a  day  of  rest,  when  the  mind  and  body  are  both  relieved, 
and  the  human  machine  rests  for  a  period.  On  this  day 
all  hands  may  luxuriate  safely  in  clean  shirts  and  trow- 
sers,  and  the  entire  forenoon  is  generally  devoted  to 
shaving,  washing,  and  renovating  in  various  ways  the 
outer  man. 

On  Saturday  afternoons,  the  forecastle  receives  a  thor- 
ough scrubbing  at  the  hands  of  the  boys,  and  for  that 
and  the  next  day  every  one  is  expected  to  take  special 
pains  not  to  make  any  litter  on  the  white  floor  or  decks. 
Sunday  morning  the  decks  are  scrubbed,  and  those  who 
have  the  morning  watch  have  afterward  time  to  make 


132  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

their  toilet  before  breakfast.  After  breakfast,  tbe  otber 
watch  go  through  this  duty,  and  then  all  hands  may  be 
seen  lying  about  decks,  some  with  books,  others  re-read 
ing  old  letters,  while  others  yet  take  what  is  called,  par 
excellence,  "  sailor's  pleasure,"  in  overhauling  their  chests, 
bringing  their  best  clothing  on  deck  to  air,  and  counting 
over  their  stock  of  tobacco  and  pipes. 

As  during  the  week  all  on  deck  are  kept  constantly  at 
work,  and  the  watch  below  are  expected  to  confine  them- 
selves to  the  limits  of  the  forecastle,  that  they  may  not 
interfere  with  the  labors  of  those  on  deck,  it  seems  quite 
a  privilege>  on  Sabbath,  to  roam  at  will  about  the  ship, 
without  fear  of  being  set  to  work. 

On  board  a  vessel  of  war,  where  every  day  in  the  week 
is  a  Sunday,  so  far  as  exemption  from  work  is  concerned, 
the  Sabbath  itself  is  looked  forward  to  with  dread  and 
dislike,  because  of  the  mustering  and  inspecting  set 
apart  for  that  day.  But  in  the  merchant  service  the 
Sabbath  is  a  much  needed  and  welcome  day  of  rest. 

It  may  be  asked,  what  manner  of  books  are  found  in 
the  forecastle?  To  that  I  must  answer,  all  kinds. 
From  the  most  abstruse  metaphysical  speculations  to  the 
merest  sixpenny  ballad,  or  the  trashiest  yellow  cover,  I 
have  seen  lying  on  the  lockers  of  a  ship's  forecastle.  Of 
course  tales  of  the  sea,  such  as  Cooper's  and  Maryatt's 
novels,  are  found  in  greatest  abundance,  but  it  is  not  at 
all  rare  to  find  among  the  tarry  frocks  and  trowsers  in 
the  sea-chest  of  an  old  sailor,  such  books  as  Shakspear 
and  Milton,  the  Spectator,  Washington  Irving,  Gold- 
smith,   and    other    standard    authors.      I    have   often 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  133 

found  a  grey-beard  old  seaman  as  familiar  with  the 
choicest  authors  in  the  English  language,  as  the  veriest 
man  of  books  and  leisure  ashore.  And  I  have  heard 
shrewd  criticisms  passed  on  books  and  authors,  in  a 
dingy  forecastle,  which  would  not  have  done  dishonor  to 
some  occupants  of  chairs  professorial. 

The  reason  for  this  is  obvious.  The  sailor,  if  on  board 
a  good  ship,  has  much  spare  time  in  his  watches  below, 
which  he  must  while  away  in  some  manner ;  and  books 
are  not  only  the  most  natural,  but  the  most  satisfactory 
resort  to  relieve  the  monotony  of  a  tedious  passage. 
But  there  is  very  little  intellectual  aliment  in  the  yellow 
cover  literature  of  the  day,  and  the  mind  naturally  flies 
to  something  more  solid.  Aside  from  this,  it  is  impossi- 
ble that  a  man  should  travel  all  over  the  world,  visit 
most  of  the  principal  seaports,  if  nothing  more.  East, 
West,  North,  and  South,  and  not  pick  up  in  his  peregri- 
nations very  many  items  of  information,  to  which,  had 
he  lived  on  shore  he  would  have  remained  a  stranger,  and 
which  give  to  his  mind  an  inquiring  turn.  And  thus  it 
happens  that  there  are  few  more  interesting  talkers  than 
an  intelligent  old  seaman. 

In  nothing  does  a  merchant  vessel  diifer  more  from  a 
man-of-war,  than  in  the  bond  of  unity  which  exists  be- 
tween the  crew.  Where  six  or  seven  hundred  men  are 
crowded  together  in  one  vessel,  it  is  natural  that  there 
should  spring  up  cliques  and  parties,  creating  walls  of 
separation  between  dificrent  members  of  the  body.  The 
reverse  of  this  is  the  case  in  the  merchant-man,  where 
the  forecastle,  in  general,  is  as  one  man,  not  only  in 


184r  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

Bentiment,  but  also  to  a  very  great  extent  in  worldly  pos- 
sessions. Thus,  while  each  individual  makes  it  a  point 
of  duty  to  provide  himself  to  the  best  of  his  ability  with 
everything  necessary  to  him,  whatever  one  has  is  always 
at  the  service  of  the  rest,  and  such  a  thing  as  bringing 
aboard  any  delicacies  from  the  shore,  and  not  volunta- 
rily dividing  them  in  the  forecastle,  is  never  seen.  The 
individual  who  would  do  so,  would  be  looked  down  upon 
as  mean  and  selfish  in  the  highest  degree.  A  complete 
community  of  goods  prevails,  and  what  one  has  not,  oth- 
ers are  always  ready  to  help  him  out  in. 

Besides  this  general  brotherhood,  a  still  closer  bond  of 
friendship  generally  obtains  in  a  forecastle,  between  indi- 
viduals who  are  drawn  together  by  congeniality  of  dispo- 
sition, long  acquaintance,  or  other  cause.  Thus,  two 
men  will  unite  their  entire  property  together,  owning 
everything  in  common,  looking  out  for  one  another's 
interests,  aiding  each  other  in  difficulties,  and  laying  out 
together  their  plans  for  the  future.  Such  a  connection  is 
known  as  chummyship,  and  to  have  a  good  chum  is  one 
of  the  pleasantest  parts  of  a  voyage. 

I  had  parted  from  my  chum  in  Philadelphia,  on  my 
return  from  Liverpool,  and  had  not  since  then  found  any 
one  with  whose  ways  and  qualities  I  was  sufficiently 
pleased  to  form  a  new  connection  of  the  kind.  The  crew 
of  the  Akbar  were  all  strangers  to  me  when  we  came  on 
board  in  Boston,  but  most  of  them  had  been  together 
before,  and  fell  therefore  naturally  into  little  parties. 
How  it  came  about  first  I  could  not  tell,  but  it  so  turned 
out  that  growling  George  and  I  were  gradually  drawn 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  135 

together,  and  before  we  were  a  month  out,  he  and  I  had 
agreed  to  be  chums.  He  was  the  oldest,  while  I  was 
the  youngest  seaman  in  the  ship  ;  he  therefore  claimed 
and  exercised,  in  virtue  of  his  experience  and  my  youth, 
a  general  oversight  over  me,  which  I  was  very  willing  to 
allow,  inasmuch  as  it  evinced  that  he  felt  an  interest  in 
my  welfare,  and  also  as  in  such  an  oversight  I  could 
profit  by  his  superior  experience,  while  J.  in  return  was 
glad  to  do  for  him  any  little  services  that  lay  in  my 
power. 

I  saw  and  felt  too,  what  many  of  our  fellows  could  not 
perceive,  that  under  a  rough  and  unattractive  outside, 
old  George  hid  a  kind  heart,  and  that  his  growling  was 
simply  a  matter  of  habit,  and  not  the  result  of  malice. 
We  two  had  been  very  gradually  becoming  more  and  more 
intimate  for  some  time,  neither,  however,  making  any 
more  than  very  general  advances  toward  each  other,  until 
on  one  rainy  night  I  was  about  to  go  on  deck  without  an 
oil-jacket,  having  mislaid  mine.  George,  who  was  in 
the. other  watch  at  this  time,called  me  back,  and  growl- 
ing at  me  for  a  careless  fellow,  threw  his  over  my  shoul- 
ders, and  bade  me  go  on  deck. 

Now,  if  there  is  one  thing  that  is  never  lent  or  bor- 
rowed in  a  forecastle,  it  is  an  oil-jacket.  Pea-jackets, 
sea-boots,  shirts,  and  even  trowsers,  are  freely  offered 
and  accepted,  but  an  oil  suit  never,  and  he  who  has 
none  of  his  own  considers  himself  in  honor  bound  to  do 
without.  It  may  be  imagined,  therefore,  that  not  only 
I,  but  all  who  saw  the  action,  considered  it  as  a  great 
favor,  and  between  George  and  I  the  matter  was  at  once 


136  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

and  tacitly  understood  as  an  offer  and  acceptance  of 
chummysliip.  Henceforth  he  took  a  more  lively  interest 
in  me,  and  when,  shortly  after,  I  was  overhauling  my 
chest,  he  very  good-naturedly  sat  down  to  aid  me  in 
arranging  it  to  a  little  better  advantage.  Looking  over 
my  clothes,  he  showed  me  where  various  improvements 
might  be  made  in  them,  commended  me  for  neatness, 
and  read  me  a  lecture  on  having  a  place  for  every- 
thing, where  it  could  be  found  at  a  moment's  notice,  in 
allusion  to  my  having  before  mislaid  my  oil-jacket. 

Shortly  after,  his  thread,  needles,  and  thimble  found 
their  way  into  my  ditty-box,  and  when  once  1  desired  to 
borrow  a  sail  needle,  of  which  he  had  a  good  supply,  he 
told  me  to  go  to  his  chest  and  help  myself.  Thus,  by 
almost  imperceptible  degrees  we  became  closer  friends, 
and  shortly  we  held  our  property  in  common,  and  it  was 
plainly  understood,  not  only  by  our  two  selves,  but  by 
all  hands,  that  we  two  were  chums.  Still  not  a  word  of 
such  an  arrangement  had  ever  been  spoken  between  us. 
It  was  well  enough  understood  without.  Henceforth  I 
came  in  for  a  special  share  of  his  grumbling  and  fault- 
finding, which,  however,  I  knew  how  to  take,  generally 
laughing  him  out  of  his  ill-humor. 

I  found  Greorge's  friendship  valuable  to  me  in  many 
respects.  Considerable  deference  is  paid  on  board  ship, 
to  age,  and  it  was  considered  not  more  than  right  that 
I,  who  was  the  youngest,  should  be  instructed  in  many 
things  by  my  old  chum.  And  a  better  instructor  I  could 
not  have  had.  In  his  long  life  at  sea,  he  had  gathered 
sea-lore  wherever  he  went,  and  uniting  the  knowledge  of 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  137 

the  sailors  of  several  nations,  was  at  home  in  anything 
that  could  be  done  with  a  ship.  He  was  standard 
authority  both  in  the  forecastle  and  aft,  in  all  that  per- 
tained to  rigging  or  managing  a  vessel,  and  his  sugges- 
tions as  to  alterations  in  the  rig  were  always  listened  to 
with  deference  by  the  mates,  grumblingly  as  they  were 
uttered. 

If  a  new  purchase  was  to  be  rove,  a  fancy  knot  to  be 
tied,  or  any  labor-saving  tackle  studied  out,  George  was 
the  mate's  right  hand  man,  and  to  him  the  work  was 
consigned,  with  the  knowledge  that  in  his  hands  it  would 
be  well  done.  To  me  his  hints  on  steering,  setting 
studding  sails,  and  many  other  of  the  more  laborious 
duties  of  the  sailor  were  invaluable,  enabling  me  to  bring 
skill  to  the  aid  of  strength,  and  perform  my  work  better 
and  with  less  exertion  than  otherwise  I  should  have  been 
able  to  do. 

While  beating  through  the  southeast  trades,  making 
our  way  toward  the  Cape,  we  frequently  caught  fish  out 
of  the  schools  that  constantly  surrounded  the  ship, 
aflfording  an  agreeable  variety  to  our  salt  provisions. 
Here  again  the  merchant  sailor  is  favored  far  above  the 
man-of-war's  man.  The  latter  has  no  access  to  the  gal- 
ley, and  though  he  may  catch  fish  all  day,  would  not  be 
able  to  get  them  cooked,  there  being  no  room  for  prepar- 
ing anything  but  the  regular  ship's  allowance.  But,  in 
the  merchant  service,  the  cook  is  glad  to  have  something 
to  provide,  for  a  change,  and,  as  our  lines  hung  constantly 
to  the  jib-guys,  we  had  fresh  fish  whenever  we  desired  it, 
for  a  long  time. 


138  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

When  off  the  Cape,  we  one  day  harpooned  a  porpoise, 
and  I  now  for  the  first  time  ate  of  this  fish.  The  por-. 
poise  is  a  fish  of  the  whale  kind,  from  six  to  ten  feet 
long,  and  having  a  pointed  nose  or  bill,  giving  the  head 
some  little  resemblance  to  a  bird's.  The  meat  resembles 
somewhat  coarse  beef,  but  is  much  darker — almost  black. 
The  liver,  which  is  the  choicest  part,  and  is  considered 
quite  a  delicacy,  is  hardly  to  be  distinguished,  when 
cooked,  from  the  liver  of  a  hog. 

Before  we  fairly  doubled  the  Cape,  we  experienced  the 
usual  gale  of  wind,  without  which  it  seems  almost  im- 
possible  to  get  into  the  Indian  Ocean,  and  although  the 
wind  was  fair,  we  were  compelled  to  shorten  sail. 

'*Aye,  reef  her  down,"  growled  my  chum,  ''just  as 
though  you  wanted  her  to  lay  here  like  an  old  hulk." 

''But,  George,"  said  one,  "you  would  not  want  to 
steer  her  to-night,  with  whole  topsails?" 

"  Let  him  put  topgallantsails  on  her,  and  I'll  steer  her 
with  one  hand.  Who  wants  to  wallow  about  here  just 
like  some  old  Dutch  drogher?  I  want  to  get  to  Cal- 
cutta." 

Nevertheless,  with  all  his  grumbling,  George  was  the 
first  man  on  the  topsailyard,  and  took  occasion  while 
he  and  I  were  securing  the  lee-earing,  to  prophesy  that 
we  would  be  at  least  six  months  on  our  passage,  "  short- 
ening sail  for  every  cap  full  of  wind."  In  his  heart  the 
old  fellow  was  glad  of  the  comfortable  night's  rest  which 
our  taking  in  sail  secured  to  all  hands,  but  his  growl 
was  as  earnest  and  persistent  as  though  he  had  been 
really  an  ill-used  man. 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  189 

We  were  but  a  few  days  off  the  Cape,  and  with  a  fair 
wind  soon  regained  a  warmer  latitude.  With  the  aid 
of  favoring  breezes  we  made  a  quick  run  to  the  Sand- 
heads,  where  receiving  a  pilot  from  one  of  the  pilot  brigs 
which  have  there  their  cruising  ground,  we  were  soon  in 
the  Hoogly. 

The  Sand-heads  are  shoals  formed  by  the  deposits  of 
the  Hoogly.  They  extend  to  some  distance  beyond  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  and  their  navigation  is  difficult  and 
often  dangerous.  None  but  the  smaller  country  vessels 
venture  upon  the  intricate  channels  without  the  aid  of  a 
pilot.  Sanger  Point  is  the  first  land  made  by  vessels 
approaching  the  mouth  of  the  Hoogly. 

No  sooner  were  we  in  the  river  than  everything  at 
once  assumed  an  East  India  air.  The  officers  donned 
jackets  and  trowsers  of  dazzling  white,  the  crew  wore 
their  lightest  clothing,  the  awnings  were  spread,  and  as 
we  sailed  up  the  broad  stream  leading  to  Calcutta,  its 
shores  studded  with  vegetation  in  all  the  exuberance  of  a 
tropical  climate,  I  could  almost  fancy  that  we  had  all 
been  metamorphosed  into  East  Indians,  so  complete  was 
the  change  in  appearance  of  all  on  board. 

The  city  of  Calcutta  lies  about  one  hundred  miles 
from  the  junction  of  the  Hoogly  with  the  sea.  The 
river  banks,  for  a  portion  of  the  way,  are  low  and 
marshy,  forming  a  dense  jungle,  with  here  and  there  a 
native  hut  peeping  out  from  the  mass  of  green  foliage. 
Above  Fort  Diamond,  however,  about  half  way  up,  Euro- 
pean and  native  residences  begin  to  abound  on  the  river 
bank,  and  as  these  are  laid  out  with  all  the  magnificence 


140 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 


that  art  and  money  can  produce,  they  make  up  a  most 
enchanting  scene. 

My  chum,  George,  who  was  a  real  vagabond,  had 
already  wearied  of  the  monotony  of  life  on  board  the 
Akbar,  and  longed  for  a  change.  He  had  determined 
not  to  go  home  in  the  ship,  but  to  take  a  chance  in  a 
lime-juicer,  or  a  country  ship,  where  he  could  make  a 
short  trip  to  some  other  East  Indian  port,  and  again  try 
a  new  vessel.  He  of  course  confided  his  wish  to  me,  and 
urged  me  to  go  with  him.  I  readily  entered  into  his 
project,  as  it  chimed  well  with  my  own  desire  to  see 
somewhat  more  of  the  East  Indies  than  I  should  be  likely 
to,  did  I  remain  in  the  Akbar.  We  had,  therefore, 
already  before  we  made  the  land,  picked  out  such  of  our 
joint  stock  of  clothes  as  we  considered  it  best  to  take 
along,  when  we  left,  and  were  determined  to  avail  our- 
selves of  the  first  suitable  chance  that  ofiered,  after  our 
arrival  at  Calcutta. 

The  pilots  on  the  Hoogly  are  perhaps  the  greatest  gen- 
tlemen to  be  found  in  all  their  fraternity.  Although 
sterling  sailors,  and  masters  of  their  business  (and  their 
dut;y  on  the  river  is  of  the  most  arduous  kind) ,  they  bear 
about  them  none  of  the  rough  looks  or  manners  of  the 
sailor.  They  are  mostly  men  of  education,  not  a  few  of 
them  dabbling  in  literature,  and  some  of  the  most  credit- 
able prose  and  poetry  in  the  Oriental  magazines  is  dated 
from  the  pilot  brigs  '*  off  the  Sand-heads." 

The  slender  and  rather  effeminate  gentleman  who  was 
assisted  up  our  gangway,  and  took  charge  of  the  vessel, 
with  his  jeweled  fingers,  and  dainty  tread,  smacked  more 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  141 

of  the  parlor  or  the  counting-house  than  of  the  ship. 
But  he  was  not  ten  minutes  on  board  before  we  knew 
that  we  had  a  seaman  to  deal  with. 

He  brought  on  board  with  him  a  leadsman  and  a  pri- 
vate servant,  two  swarthy  Hindoos,  and  sufficient  baggage 
to  last  him,  so  we  thought,  for  a  voyage  round  the  world. 
Navigation  on  the  Hoogly  is  of  the  most  difficult,  as  the 
channel  is  almost  constantly  shifting,  and  the  tides  and 
currents  are  extremely  rapid.  It  is  necessary,  therefore, 
to  keep  the  lead  constantly  going,  and  the  line  used  by 
the  pilot's  leadsman,  a  man  of  no  little  experience  him- 
self, is  marked  at  every  three  inches,  instead  of  every  six 
feet,  as  is  the  common  lead  line. 

We  had  sailed  but  little  ways  up  the  river  when  we 
were  hailed  by  a  steam- tug,  and  as  our  captain  was  anx- 
ious to  get  up  to  the  city,  she  was  called  alongside,  and 
took  us  in  tow.  This  greatly  lightened  our  labors,  and 
by  the  time  we  reached  the  anchorage  abreast  of  Cal- 
cutta, we  had  the  topgallant  and  royal  yards  sent  down, 
the  lighter  sails  unbent,  and  the  ship  all  ready  for  a  long 
stay  in  port. 

Most  vessels  coming  to  Calcutta  are  moored  in  tiers  in 
the  river,  opposite  the  city,  and  at  but  little  distance 
from  the  shore,  where  they  discharge  and  take  in  cargo. 
Great  care  is  taken  to  preserve  the  health  of  the  crew,  as 
the  city  is  noted  as  a  sickly  place  in  the  summer  season. 
Gangs  of  Hindoos  are  employed  to  labor  in  the  hold,  at 
discharging  or  stowing  cargo,  the  ship's  company  being 
employing  in  fitting  up  the  rigging,  working  under  awn- 
ings spread  fore  and  aft  over  the  upper  deck.     These 


142  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

awnings  are  kept  up  night  as  well  as  day,  and  under 
them  the  men  sleep  at  night,  secure  from  the  noxious  in-. 
fluences  of  the  heavy  dews. 

The  manner  of  working  of  the  Hindoo  stevedores 
afforded  me  much  amusement.  It  is  necessary,  in  the 
first  place,  to  have  double  the  number  of  them  that 
would  be  required  of  Europeans  (as  all  whites  are  called 
in  the  Indies).  The  gang  is  under  the  command  of  a 
Sevang,  whose  orders  are  implicitly  obeyed,  and  who  is 
amenable  to  the  captain  for  the  good  conduct  of  his  men. 
They  make  much  noise,  singing  and  shouting,  but  work 
very  slowly.  Besides  the  tools  for  working  which  they 
bring  aboard,  and  their  cooking  utensils,  each  gang  is 
the  possessor  of  a  large  pipe,  with  a  long  flexible  tube, 
called  a  hookah,  and  by  the  sailors  denominated  a  hub- 
ble-bubble, on  account,  I  suppose,  of  the  peculiar  bub- 
bling made  by  the  water  in  the  lower  bowl,  through 
which  the  smoke  is  drawn  into  the  tube.  The  hubble- 
bubble  is  lit  early  in  the  morning,  and  does  not  again  go 
out  during  the  day,  the  gang  relieving  each  other  regu- 
larly at  it,  one  being  always  smoking.  This  is  consid- 
ered a  matter  of  course,  and  no  surprise  is  felt  to  see  a 
man  break  off  in  the  middle  of  a  severe  lift,  to  relieve 
his  companion  at  the  pipe. 

They  have  their  own  cook,  their  own  galley,  their  own 
utensils  and  provisions,  and  even  have  assigned  to  them 
a  special  water-cask,  from  which  none  of  the  Europeans 
are  allowed  to  use.  The  law  of  caste  enforces  this  upon 
them,  and  although  they  are  the  very  lowest  of  the  popu- 
lation,  they  have  the    utmost    abhorrence    to    eating 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 


143 


anything  which  a  white  man  has  touched.  The  sailors 
are  strictly  forbidden  from  playing  tricks  upon  them,  as 
they  would  be  too  likely  to  do  otherwise,  practical  jokes 
being  something  that  Jack  is  exceedingly  fond  of 


Hindoos,  or  Madras. 

To  facilitate  communication  with  the  shore,  the  ships 
have  native  boatmen  hired,  who,  for  a  certain  sum,  are 
always,  day  and  night,  at  hand  to  transport  persons  to 
or  from  shore.  These  are  called  dingy  wallahs,  wallah 
being  a  term  signifying  merchant  or  trader,  and  of  uni- 
versal application  to  all  manner  of  occupations. 

Every  kind  of  tropical  fruit  is  to  be  had  in  abundance 
in  Calcutta.     All  the  conveniences  and  comforts  which 


144  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL, 

heart  can  desire  are  here  at  hand.  Clothing  is  cheap  and 
of  good  quality.  Every  kind  of  food  is  also  very  cheap: 
The  natives  work  for  the  merest  trifle,  and  one  no  sooner 
sets  his  foot  on  shore,  than  he  is  besieged  by  numbers  of 
them,  asking  for  a  job,  offering  to  procure  him  a  palan- 
kin,  volunteering  to  show  him  about  the  town,  begging 
from  him,  or  endeavoring  by  the  performance  of  various 
juggling  feats  to  draw  a  little  money  out  of  your  pocket. 

With  sailors,  Calcutta  is  a  favorite  port.  There  are 
few  places  even  in  India  where  their  money  will  hold  out 
so  well,  and  fewer  still  where  they  find  united  so  many 
of  the  concomitants  which  go  to  make  up  a  good  spree. 

I  was  ashore  but  twice,  both  times  in  the  evening  after 
the  day's  work  was  finished,  but  I  saw  that  Jack  carries 
it  there  with  a  high  hand.  Kupees  fly  about  as  though 
they  grew  on  trees  in  the  next  jungle,  and  India  Jack,  in 
nis  white  suit,  orders  his  servants  about  with  the  air  of 
a  lord. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Leave  the  Akbar  —  An  English  vessel  —  Sail  for  Madras  — 
Some  of  the  Peculiarities  of  British  Ships  —  Arrive  at 
Madras  —  The  Port  —  Manner  of  taking  in  Cargo  —  How  I 
got  into  the  Sailmaker's  Gang  —  The  Surf-Boats  —  A  Storm 
and  its  Consequences. 

We  had  been  but  a  few  days  in  port,  and  I  had  only 
been  twice  on  shore  in  the  evening,  of  course  seeing  but 
little  of  the  town  or  the  inhabitants,  when  my  chum 
came  on  board  late  one  night  and  communicated  to  me 
the  fact  that  an  English  vessel  about  to  sail  for  Madras 
was  in  want  of  hands,  and  that  the  captain  had  offered 
him  and  me  a  chance.  I  demurred  somewhat  at  leaving 
Calcutta,  before  I  had  taken  a  daylight  look  at  it,  but 
was  silenced  by  George  saying  that  when  we  came  back 
we  could  stay  a  month  ashore  if  we  desired.  I  therefore 
agreed  to  go  with  him,  and  it  was  arranged  that  the  next 
night  we  would  go  on  board  the  barque,  as  she  was  to 
sail  early  the  succeeding  morning. 

That  night  we  arranged  into  suitable  bundles  the 
effects  we  intended  to  take  with  us,  and  the  next  even- 
ing, bidding  good-bye  to  a  few  of  our  shipmates,  but 
without  communicating  to  them  our  destination,  we 
10  (14.5) 


146  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

called  the  diiigy  wallah  and  were  set  ashore.  \Ye 
walked  down  the  side  of  the  river  until  we  came  abreast 
of  the  English  barque,  and  on  hailing  were  quickly 
taken  on  board,  in  her  own  boat. 

Here  we  found  all  things  ready  for  sea,  an  anchor 
watch  already  set,  windlass  brakes  shipped,  and  topsails 
hanging  by  the  bunt  gaskets.  Early  next  morning,  we 
got  underweigh,  and  sailed  down  the  river  with  a  fair 
wind  and  tide. 

When  the  topsails  were  sheeted  home  and  hoisted  up, 
George,  who  had  evidently  not  considered  his  escape  as 
made  good  until  then,  clapped  me  on  the  shoulder,  and 
said  cheerfully : 

'*  Now,  boy,  you're  on  board  a  lime-juicer ;  look  aft 
and  see  the  red  cross  waving  over  your  head." 

It  had  not  occurred  to  me  before,  but  as  I  glanced  in 
that  direction  and  saw  the  blood-red  ensign  of  England 
fluttering  in  the  spot  where  until  now  I  had  been  used 
to  see  only  the  stars  and  stripes,  I  for  the  first  time  real- 
ized that  I  was  a  stranger.  For  the  moment  I  felt  my 
heart  sink,  and  longed  to  be  back  in  my  old  ship,  with 
the  gridiron  over  head.  But  regrets  were  now  useless, 
and  the  reflection  that  at  any  rate  I  was  about  to  see 
something  new,  to  make  myself  acquainted  with  another 
phase  of  sea  life,  made  me  contented  with  my  position. 
And  with  that  never-failing  comforter  of  the  sailor, 
''What's  the  odds,  so  long  as  you're  happy  ?"  I  drove 
away  all  feelings  of  regret,  and  went  cheerfully  to  my 
work. 

The  passage  to  Madras,  although  lasting  but  a  few 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  147 

days,  was  sufficient  to  give  me  quite  an  insight  into  many 
of  the  peculiar  points  of  difference  between  English  and 
American  ships  and  sailors.  British  ships  partake 
largely  of  that  solidity  which  is  a  peculiar  characteristic 
of  John  Bull.  A  spirit  of  utilitarianism  pervades  all. 
Strength  and  durability  are  qualities  much  more  looked 
after  than  beauty.  And  while  everything  is  neat  and 
seaman-like,  there  is  none  of  that  light,  airy  grace  which 
is  noticeable  in  the  Yankee. 

The  American  sports  an  extravagant  length  of  spars, 
and  seeks  to  give  his  vessel  a  rakish  look,  even  if  she  is 
the  dullest  of  cotton  boxes.  The  Briton — so  John  Bull 
delights  to  be  called  when  away  from  his  native  isle — the 
Briton  saws  off  every  superfluous  inch  of  timber,  scarcely 
leaving  enough  to  keep  his  rigging  safely  on  the  mast- 
head. The  American  paints  his  masts  and  often  his 
yards  white,  aiming  to  give  to  heavy  spars  a  light  and 
graceful  appearance.  The  Briton  scrapes  his  mastheads 
and  blacks  his  yards,  imparting  to  both  an  appearance 
of  massive  strength  and  solidity.  The  American  deco- 
rates the  hull  of  his  ship  with  a  shining  coat  of  paint, 
making  her  old  and  worn  planks  look  as  though  just 
from  the  builder's  hands.  The  Briton  coal-tars  his  ves- 
sel's bends,  that  the  water  may  not  penetrate  to  and 
injure  the  wood.  The  American  uses  Manilla  running 
rigging  and  patent  sheaves,  because  they  run  better  and 
save  labor.  The  Briton  persists  in  stiff  hemp  ropes,  and 
old-fashioned  blocks  with  sheaves  that  make  a  revolution 
perhaps  once  a  voyage,  because  both  last  longer.     So  the 


Ji8  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

parallel  miglit  be  carried  out  ad  infinitum,  but  it  would 
scarce  interest  any  one  except  a  sailor. 

In  point  of  speed  there  may  be  but  little  differenoe 
between  American  and  English  vessels ;  so  far  as  dura- 
bility is  concerned,  the  Briton  has  undoubtedly  the  advan- 
tage— if  advantage  it  may  be  called  in  these  days  of 
progress  in  all  arts,  to  construct  vessels  which  will  last 
until  their  models  have  been  eclipsed,  and  they  are  only 
noticeable  as  dull  sailing  remnants  of  other  days. 

But  where  grace  and  fancy  are  concerned,  and  more 
particularly  still,  as  regards  devices  for  saving  the  heavy 
labor  in  working  ship,  the  Briton  is  at  least  a  dozen  years 
behind  the  Yankee.  Scarce  an  American  vessel  sails 
that  has  not  patent  blocks,  light,  soft  running  rigging, 
winches,  cleats,  and  fifty  other  contrivances  for  facilitat- 
ing work,  while  all  such  things  are  extremely  rare  in 
British  vessels,  and  the  British  sailor  relies  yet  upon  the 
old-fashioned  handy-hilly  tackle,  and  works  ahead  by 
"main  strength  and  stupidness,"  as  they  say  at  sea.  The 
consequence  is,  that  American  vessels  carry  usually  about 
one-third  less  hands  than  British,  and  get  along  equally 
as  well,  if  not  better. 

British  seamen  are  in  everything,  part  and  parcel  of 
their  ships.  The  American  seaman  is  quick  and  lively. 
The  Briton  is  slow  and  sedate.  The  Yankee  endeavors 
to  look  at  the  pleasant  side  of  life ;  the  lime-juicer's  only 
pleasure  is  to  growl.  The  former  is  careless  and  light- 
hearted  ;  the  latter  gets  drunk  with  the  same  sedate  and 
dogged  perseverance  with  which  he  combats  and  overcomea 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  149 

the  elements.  The  one  regards  life  from  a  business 
point  of  view,  the  other  does  his  duty — and  growls. 

In  point  of  thorough,  old-fashioned  seamanship  the 
Briton  is  ahead  of  the  Yankee.  He  dips  deep,  while  the 
American  skims  over  the  surface.  But  the  day  has  gone 
by  when  this  old-fashioned  seamanship  was  a  necessary 
qualification.  And  the  proof  of  this  lies  in  the  fact  that 
American  ships  and  officers,  with  half  the  preparation 
and  one  quarter  the  sailor-craft,  make  as  fortunate,  if  not 
luckier  voyages  than  British  vessels. 

During  my  stay  in  the  Indies,  I  had  often  occasion  to 
wonder  at  the  entire  lack  of  preparation  displayed  on 
board  of  American  vessels,  trading  there  from  port  to 
port.  A  British  Indiaman  does  not  start  on  her  voyage 
without  an  ample  supply  of  spare  spars — almost  sufficient 
to  re-spar  her  fore  and  aft.  She  carries  out  at  least  four 
heavy  anchors  and  cables,  besides  a  number  of  stream 
anchors  and  kedges.  And  her  captain  and  mates  would 
be  thought  little  of  were  they  not  able  to  re-rig  her  from 
deck  to  truck,  should  she  be  dismasted. 

The  Yankee  sets  sail  on  his  long  voyage  with  a  couple 
of  spare  topmasts,  two  anchors,  and  a  kedge,  and  a  bound- 
less trust  in  Providence  and  his  own  management  for  the 
rest.  The  officers  are  good  navigators,  and  as  to  replacing 
a  broken  spar,  they  are  prepared  to  study  it  out  when  it 
is  needed.  But  of  the  two,  the  Yankee  mostly  comes  out 
ahead. 

I  found  the  discipline  on  board  my  new  ship  much 
different  from  that  I  had  been  used  to.  The  men  were 
ordered  about  less  gently,  and  did  their  work  more  sul- 


150  THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

lenly.  The  line  of  separation  between  fore  and  aft  was 
more  strictly  drawn.  Each  man  was  expected  to  know 
his  duty  as  a  seaman,  and  do  it,  and  woe  to  him  who  in 
any  particular  fell  short. 

The  British  sailor — poor  fellow — has  rights.  His  im- 
portance to  the  national  welfare  has  had  the  effect  of 
hedging  him  about  w^ith  a  barrier  of  preventives,  to  such 
an  extent  that  he  cannot  turn  around  but  what  he  steps 
on  one  of  the  very  laws  enacted  to  secure  him  against  the 
the  imposition  of  his  superiors.  The  law  prescribes  that 
he  shall  have  a  certain  allowance  of  provisions — barely 
enough  for  a  man  of  moderate  appetite — and  if  it  rained 
victuals  he  could  not  get  any  more.  The  law  provides 
that  he  shall  be  allowed  his  forenoon  watch  below,  and 
therefore  the  captain  takes  care  that  he  shall  be  kept  on 
deck  all  the  afternoon.  The  law  specifies  certain  duties, 
which  the  seaman  must  be  able  to  perform  ;  and  however 
unnecessary  or  uncalled  for  some  of  these  may  be,  unless 
he  is  entirely  a  a  fait  of  them,  the  captain  considerately 
docks  his  wages.  The  law  provides  that  the  owner  shall 
pay  off  his  men  within  a  certain  number  of  days  after 
the  arrival  of  the  ship  at  her  port  of  discharge,  and  the 
captain  and  owner  take  care  not  to  do  so  a  day  before. 
Thus  Jack  Tar,  with  his  rights  securely  protected,  and 
the  law  entirely  on  his  side,  finds  himself  almost  alto- 
gether helpless,  and  without  a  single  privilege. 

The  allowance  on  our  vessel  was  a  pretty  hard  sample 
of  living.  I  do  not  now  remember  the  quantity,  includ- 
ing bone,  of  beef  and  pork  that  was  weighed  out  to  each 
man  daily,  but  I  have  not  forgotten  that  it  was  generally 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  151 

eaten  up  at  dinner,  and  we  were  left  for  breakfast  and 
supper  to  subsist  on  dry  bread  and  tea,  or  coffee. 

Lobscouse,  that  savory  mess,  the  almost  invariable 
breakfast  dish  in  an  American  ship,  is  only  traditionally 
known  in  a  lime-juicer,  the  law  not  reaching  to  that.  I 
remember  yet,  with  a  feeling  of  inward  shame,  the  greedy 
eyes  which  used  to  watch  the  kid  of  thin  pea  soup,  to 
see  that  no  one  got  more  than  his  lawful  pint.  And  so 
diminutive  was  the  duff ••=  that  a  facetious  fellow  desired 
to  *'  toss  up  for  who  should  have  it  all." 

"Good  luck  to  you,  Charley,  and  may  you  never  see  a 
banyan  day,"  was  the  last  wish  of  an  old  shipmate,  as 
he  bade  me  good-bye,  on  T  wharf  at  Boston. 

As  I  laughed  at  the  whimsical  wish,  I  did  not  think 
how  soon  I  should  experience  all  the  barrenness  of  ban- 
yan. The  American  sailor  sees  no  banyan  day.  The 
British  sailor  has  one  provided  for  him  by  law.  I  do  not 
know  where  the  expression  originated,  but  it  is  reputed 
very  old.  The  sailor's  bill  of  fare  offers  but  three 
changes — beans,  or  peas,  rice  and  duff.  These  are  alter- 
nated, so  that  each  occurs  twice  a  week.  Of  course,  in 
this  arrangement,  one  day,  Saturday,  is  left  unprovided 
for.  This,  in  American  merchant  vessels,  is  devoted  to 
codfish  and  potatoes ;  in  men-of-war,  beans  supply  the 
vacancy.  In  most  British  ships  it  is  left  unsupplied,  and 
this  makes  a  banyan  day,  of  which  I  saw  not  a  few 
while  sailing  under  the  meteor  flag. 

*^  Dujfis  a  mess  composed  of  flour,  water,  and  fat,  mixed  in 
proper  proportions  to  make  it  indigestible,  put  in  a  little  bag 
and  boiled  for  an  hour  or  two  before  dinner. 


152  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL: 

Madras  on  the  Coromandel  coast  is  one  of  the  most 
important  seaports  in  the  British  possessions  in  the  East. 
Those  who  first  laid  out  the  city  must  have  had  singular 
ideas  as  to  what  makes  an  advantageous  position  for  a 
seaport.  There  is  no  harbor  or  bay  to  make  safe  anchor- 
age for  shipping — scarcely  an  indentation  in  the  land. 
Vessels  come  to  anchor  at  a  distance  of  from  a  mile  to 
two  miles  from  the  shore,  with  the  broad  bay  of  Bengal  on 
one  side  and  the  surf-bound  beach  on  the  other.  There 
is  no  shelter  from  storms,  and  the  only  way  when  one 
comes  on  is  to  weigh  anchor,  or,  in  case  of  emergency, 
slip  the  cable,  and  endeavor  to  make  an  offing,  returning 
when  the  weather  moderates. 

So  strongly  does  the  surf  break  on  the  shore,  that  it 
is  entirely  unapproachable  to  ship's  boats,  and  all  com- 
munication with  the  city  is  held  by  means  of  surf  boats, 
manned  by  naked  half-savage  Hindoo  fellows,  who  seem 
to  delight  in  their  rough  business.  These  boats  discharge 
cargo,  and  bring  alongside  freight  from  shore.  In  them, 
passengers  are  taken  ashore  through  the  surf,  thinking 
themselves  fortunate  if  they  get  safely  to  land  without 
a  thorough  drenching.  It  is  only  in  fine  weather  that 
even  the  surf  boats  can  work,  and  on  the  least  sign  of 
the  breeze  setting  on  shore  all  communication  is  entirely 
cut  off.  With  all  these  disadvantages,  Madras  is  a  place 
of  much  business,  and  the  anchorage,  or  Koadstead  as  it  is 
styled  by  courtesy,  is  always  studded  with  shipping. 

In  the  season  of  the  regular  Monsoons,  the  shipping 
lie  safe  enough,  as  the  wind  may  then  be  counted  upon, 
both  as  to  strength  and  direction.     But  during  the  two 


'^J,l^ 


^ 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  153 

or  three  months  each  year,  between  the  changes  of  the 
Monsoons,  when  the  wind  has  thrown  off  its  bonds,  and 
is  so  to  say  at  liberty,  Madras  is  a  hazardous  port. 

In  these  times,  every  precaution  is  taken  to  prevent 
being  caught  in  one  of  the  prevailing  gales.  The  top- 
sails are  furled  with  a  double  reef  in  them,  topgallant- 
masts  are  sent  down  on  deck,  the  anchor  is  securely 
buoyed,  that  the  cable  may  be  slipped  without  danger  of 
losing  it,  and  everything  is  kept  well  secured  about 
decks,  ready  at  any  moment  to  run  out  to  sea.  The  crew 
are  kept  at  regular  sea  watches,  and  by  the  rules  of  the 
port  no  one  but  the  captain  is  permitted  to  leave  the  ves- 
sel, and  even  he,  I  believe,  is  supposed  to  return  on 
board  every  evening.  The  anchorage  is  at  no  time  very 
quiet,  and  even  with  a  slight  breeze  vessels  ride  bows 
under,  pitching,  rolling,  and  tossing  about,  much  more 
than  if  under  sail. 

We  remained  in  the  Eoads  but  two  weeks,  merely  long 
enough  to  take  in  part  of  a  cargo  of  rice,  with  which 
we  were  bound  to  Sydney,  New  South  Wales.  The  rice 
was  brought  alongside  in  surf  boats  of  course,  and 
from  them  hoisted  in  and  stowed  in  the  hold  by  the  crew. 
A  surf  boat  load  is  not  a  great  deal,  and  as  on  the  most 
favorable  days  we  did  not  receive  more  than  five  or  six 
boat  loads,  we  were  not  fully  occupied  in  receiving  and 
stowing  cargo,  and  spent  the  intermediate  time  in  work- 
ing on  sails. 

If  a  knowledge  of  sailmaking  is  a  good  thing  on  board 
an  American  vessel,  it  is  thrice  more  valuable  in  a  lime- 
juicer,  and  I  found  on  board  my  new  ship  that  a  facility 


154  THE     MERCHANT     VESSEL. 

in  handling  the  palm  and  needle  was  the  most  valuable 
recommendation  I  could  have  brought  with  me.  My 
chum,  George,  and  I  were  almost  from  the  first  received 
into  the  mate's  favor,  and  spent  the  greater  part  of  our 
voyage  in  the  vessel,  under  the  quarter-deck  awning, 
making  and  mending  sails.  George  being  an  old  man 
was  at  once  taken  into  the  sailmaker's  gang,  on  his  say- 
ing that  he  understood  the  work ;  but  I,  who  was  quite 
a  stripling,  and  looked  even  more  boyish  than  my  age 
warranted,  was  subjected  to  a  severe  trial  before  I  fairly 
won  my  way  to  the  same  place. 

In  British  vessels,  age  is  considered  a  necessary  quali- 
fication for  a  seaman,  and  the  principle  seems  to  be,  the 
older  the  man  the  better  sailor.  A  boy  is  a  boy,  and 
must  do  a  boy's  duty,  no  matter  what  his  strength  or 
knowledge  of  sailor  craft  may  be.  Woe  to  the  unlucky 
fellow  who  presumes  to  ship  as  seaman  before  he  is  able 
to  show  a  respectable  beard.  He  is  viewed  by  his  fortu- 
nate older  shipmates  with  a  large  degree  of  jealousy, 
and  is  likely  to  have  all  his  seamanship  put  to  the  test, 
by  the  mate. 

Besides  my  unlucky  deficiency  in  years  and  whiskers,  I 
had  the  additional  disadvantage  of  being  a  Yankee,  and  I 
found  very  shortly  after  we  left  Calcutta  that  the  mate  had 
determined  to  see  if  there  was  no  flaw  in  me,  while  the 
crew,  though  sufficiently  friendly,  watched  me  with  jeal- 
ous eyes,  determined  to  hold  aloof  from  any  close  com- 
munion of  friendship,  before  I  had  proved  myself  "  as 
good  a  man  as  I  had  shipped  for."  All  this  was  not 
very  agreeable,  but  I  determined  that  the  Yankee  name 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  155 

should  not  suffer  in  my  person,  and  with  the  aid  of  a 
little  neatness  in  workmanship,  which  is  easier  acquired 
in  a  man-of-war  than  anywhere  else,  1  left  even  the  mate 
no  cause  for  fault-finding. 

On  board  an  American  merchant  vessel,  the  fact  that 
a  man  is  not  familiar  with  some  j)iece  of  work  on  rigging 
is  not  counted  against  him  as  a  disgrace,  provided  he  is 
otherwise  a  good  hand,  one  whose  pull  on  a  rope  can  be 
felt,  and  who  is  not  behindhand  in  a  gale  of  wind.  Bat 
with  British  sailors,  this  matter  is  entirely  different. 
One  may  be  able  as  possible,  if  there  is  found  any  flaw, 
however  slight,  in  his  seamanship,  if  he  is  so  unfortunate 
as  to  get  hold  of  work  which  he  can  not  do,  or  if  he  ap- 
peals to  a  shipmate  for  information  on  any  point  of  duty, 
he  is  directly  looked  down  upon  as  ''no  sailor."  Thus, 
to  make  a  trip  in  a  British  vessel  is  considered  no  bad 
criterion  of  an  American  sailor's  merits,  and  to  have 
"weathered  a  voyage  in  a  lime-juicer,"  is  something  to 
be  mentioned  with  proper  pride  in  the  forecastle. 

I  was  by  this  time  tolerably  au  fait  of  most  of  the 
work  to  be  done  on  a  vessel's  rigging,  could  send  down 
or  receive  a  topgallantmast,  turn  in  a  dead-eye,  or  crown 
a  hawser,  in  a  seaman-like  manner,  and  was  conscious 
of  but  one  deficiency  in  my  knowledge  of  sailor  craft.  I 
did  not  know  how  to  splice  a  hawser,  a  difficult  piece  of 
work,  requiring  great  neatness  in  execution,  and  a  job 
which  is  not  often  necessary  to  be  done  on  board  ship. 
I  was  not  without  a  theoretical  knowledge  of  this,  even, 
growling  George  having  taken  great  pains  to  post  me  up 
thoroughly  in  everything  of  the  kind,  but  I  had  never 


156  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

seen  it  done,  and  feared  that  something  of  the  kind  would 
now  be  put  in  my  hands,  and  I  should  fail  to  acquit  my- 
self creditably.  So  much  did  this  trouble  me,  that  I 
dreamed  once  of  the  mate  having  given  me  two  pieces  of 
hawser,  as  large  as  the  mainmast,  to  splice,  and  when  I 
was  done,  and  just  cutting  off  the  ends,  it  seemed  that 
these  ends  were  the  mate's  toes.  As  I  clipped  the  first 
one,  he  uttered  a  dreadful  howl,  and  he  and  the  hawser 
somehow  got  mixed  up  and  changed  into  an  enormous 
serpent,  which,  with  rage  in  every  feature,  was  darting 
toward  me,  when  I  awoke,  only  to  find  that  the  watch 
had  been  called,  and  it  was  high  time  to  turn  out. 

My  fears  were  however  needless ;  nothing  of  the  kind 
was  found  necessary,  and  I  passed  safely  the  ordeal  the 
mate  had  set  for  me.  The  consequences  were  that  I  was 
much  more  thought  of  by  the  crew,  and  that  one  morn- 
ing at  Madras,  when  dividing  out  work,  the  mate  said 
to  me: 

"  Here,  my  lad,  bring  your  sail  bag  aft,  and  I'll  give 
you  something  to  do."  And  for  the  balance  of  the  cruise 
I  was  of  the  sailmaker's  gang. 

Ten  days  were  sufficient  for  us  to  take  in  all  the  rice 
we  were  here  to  get,  and  we  then  lost  no  time  in  getting 
away  from  Madras.  The  surf-boats,  which,  as  before 
mentioned,  bring  out  cargo,  are  pulled  out  and  back,  be- 
tween shore  and  ship,  by  means  of  ropes  stretched  along 
in  all  parts  of  the  roadstead,  communicating  with  the 
landing-place  on  shore.  These  ropes  are  buoyed  in  various 
parts  of  the  Eoads,  and  the  first  thing  necessary  to  be 
done,  after  coming  to  anchor,  is  to  pick  up  the  nearest 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  157 

one  of  the  buoys,  and  secure  to  the  bows  the  bight  of 
rope  attached.  The  surf  broke  on  shore  with  great  force, 
and  we  could  see  the  boatmen  as  they  cautiously  ap- 
proached its  bounds,  and  waited  for  a  large  wave,  rising 
on  which,  and  exerting  all  their  power  to  keep  their  boat 
straight,  they  were  shot  on  shore,  where  a  number  of 
men  were  always  in  readiness  to  run  the  boat  up  high 
and  dry,  beyond  the  reach  of  the  next  sea.  They  are 
large,  broad,  heavily-built  boats,  sharp  at  each  end,  and 
capable,  if  the  water  was  smooth,  of  carrying  quite  a 
load,  but  on  account  of  the  surf  they  are  in  general  but 
lightly  loaded.  The  boatmen,  whom  long  experience  has 
taught  every  peculiarity  of  the  weather  here,  can  tell 
the  approach  of  a  gale,  it  is  said,  even  before  the  ba- 
rometer gives  notice  of  it,  and  at  such  times  refuse  to 
venture  out  to  the  shipping. 

One  of  our  men,  who  had  been  in  Madras  Koads  a  year 
before,  related  to  us  his  experience  of  a  storm.  They 
had  sent  ashore  about  half  their  cargo,  and  received  on 
board  a  quantity  of  rice — for  the  boat  that  takes  ashore 
goods  from  the  ship  brings  back  the  return  freight,  it 
being  important  to  keep  enough  cargo  in  the  ship  at  all 
times  to  enable  her  to  stand  up  before  a  gale.  When  the 
Semaphore  on  shore  displayed  the  signals  signifying  the 
approach  of  a  storm,  everything  was  at  once  secured,  in 
the  hold  and  on  deck,  and  preparations  made  to  get  up 
anchor  and  run  out  to  sea. 

Before  however  they  could  do  this,  so  heavy  a  sea  had  set 
in,  that  it  was  found  impossible  to  bring  the  ship  up  to 
her  anchor,  and  as  the  weather  looked  very  threatening. 


158  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

they  buoyed  the  chain,  took  the  bearings  of  their  anchor 
buoy,  and  slipped  and  ran  out  to  sea,  under  double-reefed 
topsails,  with  the  hope  of  making  an  offing. 

*' We  knew,"  said  Peters,  the  man  who  gave  us  this 
narrative,  "  by  the  gray  scud  flying  across  all  day,  and 
the  sea,  which  was  getting  every  moment  higher,  that 
before  night  we  would  probably  feel  the  full  force  of  the 
storm.  And  accordingly,  we  made  the  best  of  our  way 
out  to  sea,  thinking  ourselves  safe  could  we  only  secure 
an  offing.  But  before  such  a  storm  as  we  this  time  saw, 
nothing  could  stand.  It  gradually  freshened  until  sun- 
set, when  we  took  in  all  sail  but  a  close-reefed  maintop- 
sail,  reefed  foresail,  storm  forestaysail,  and  storm  mizzen. 
We  were  obliged  to  keep  this  on  her,  in  order  if  possible 
to  hold  our  own,  off  shore.  As  the  sun  sank  yellow  and 
fiery  beneath  the  waves,  it  became  evident  that  there  was 
a  fresh  hand  at  the  bellows,  for  the  squalls  were  getting 
harder  and  harder,  until  the  wind  fairly  screamed  as  it 
rushed  through  the  tightened  rigging. 

''  The  watch  had  just  come  on  deck,  at  eight  bells,  eight 
o'clock,  when  with  a  burst  of  thunder,  seeming  to  break 
from  all  quarters  at  once,  and  a  continual  blaze  of  light- 
ening, the  real  storm,  of  which  the  squalls  had  only  been 
the  precursors,  was  upon  us.  The  old  ship  layover  to  it, 
and  the  stout  topmasts  buckled  like  whip-handles,  as  we 
wallowed  deeply  through  the  mountain  seas.  The  thun- 
der was  so  incessant  that  we  could  not  hear  one  another 
speak,  and  the  gale  increased,  puff  after  puff,  until  it 
seemed  as  though  nothing  would  be  able  to  stand  be- 
fore it. 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  159 

"  *  I  wish  we  had  the  topsail  and  foresail  in  now,'  said 
the  captain,  'it^^ould  save  us  some  trouble.'  But  it  was 
blowing  too  "hard  to  take  in  any  sail,  without  having  it 
blown  to  pieces,  and  it  was  better  to  let  it  fly  away  out 
of  the  bolt-ropes,  than  slat  to  pieces  in  clewing  up. 

'*  The  sea  had  increased  so  that  the  ship  was  nearly 
janmanageable,  and  as  it  occasionally  broke  over  the 
bow,  all  hands  had  been  summoned  aft,  to  be  within  call, 
and  in  a  safe  place. 

*'We  knew  that  if  the  wind  did  not  suddenly  change,  as 
is  the  way  with  these  gales,  we  could  weather  it  well 
enough,  for  even  if  the  topsail  was  blown  away,  it  would 
only  be  the  trouble  to  bend  another,  when  the  gale 
moderated.  But  the  worst  of  these  storms  lies  in  the 
fact  that  when  the  gale  is  at  its  hight,  the  wind  usually 
chops  around  suddenly,  and  blows  as  hard  from  the  oppo- 
site quarter,  as  from  that  in  which  it  began.  These 
sudden  alterations  not  only  make  the  sea  much  worse, 
but  place  the  ship  between  wind  and  sea,  making  it 
impossible  to  trim  her  close  to  either  one. 

"  Axes  had  been  brought  on  deck  early  in  the  evening, 
and  placed  near  the  wheel,  for  use,  in  case  we  should 
want  to  cut  away  anything.  The  gale  steadily  increased 
until  twelve  o'clock,  when  it  seemed  to  be  at  its  hight. 
Now  came  a  little  lull,  and  then  with  a  crash  of  thun- 
der louder  than  any  before,  the  wind  was  upon  us  from 
the  opposite  quarter.  All  hands  were  on  deck,  awaiting 
the  shift,  but  it  came  so  suddenly  and  violently  that  we 
could  not  do  anything  with  the  braces.  The  topsail  and 
foresail  were  caught  aback,  and  the  vessel  lay  down  on 


160  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

her  beam-ends,  until  we  feared  she  would  not  right 
again. 

"  *Cut  away  the  mainmast  and  mizzenmast/  shouted 
the  captain,  through  his  speaking  trumpet. 

'*  Some  of  us  were  let  down  to  leeward  with  ropes 
made  fast  about  our  middle,  to  prevent  our  being  swept 
overboard,  while  we  cut  away  the  lanyards  of  the  lee 
rigging,  and  this  done  the  mate  and  second  mate  touched 
their  knives  to  the  weather  lanyards.  It  required  but  a 
touch,  and  the  over-strained  ropes  gave  way,  and  with  a 
crash  the  masts  swept  over  the  side.  All  this  was  of 
course  the  work  of  a  minute,  and  did  not  take  so  long  as 
I  take  in  telling  it. 

* 'Believed  of  the  weight  of  her  two  masts,  she  righted 
a  little,  but  the  foresail  and  foremast,  upon  which  we  had 
counted  to  pay  her  head  off  from  the  wind,  seemed  only 
to  have  the  effect  of  bearing  her  down  in  the  water.  She 
was  gathering  stern-way,  when  the  captain  motioned  to 
the  foremast,  and  scrambling  and  climbling  forward,  along 
the  now  almost  perpendicular  deck,  we  also  cut  that  away. 
This  eased  her,  and  she  gradually  righted,  to  an  even 
keel. 

*'As  it  was  necessary  to  have  something  set  to  keep  her 
to  the  wind,  we  spread  a  hatch  tarpaulin  from  the  stump 
of  the  mizzenmast  to  a  spar  fastened  at  the  break  of  the 
poop,  and  with  the  aid  of  this  little  rag,  about  six  feet 
long,  by  four  wide,  we  managed  to  keep  our  hulk  out  of 
the  trough  of  the  sea.  No  longer  under  the  steadying 
power  of  the  masts,  she  rolled  and  pitched  and  tossed 
about,  as  I  never  thought  a  vessel  could.     It  was  like 


THE    MERCHANT     VESSEL.  161 

being  shaken  about  in  a  box.  All  hands  had  to  fasten 
themselves  to  the  rail,  to  prevent  being  literally  thrown 
overboard,  in  her  sudden  rolls. 

**  The  gale  continued  until  next  morning.  About 
eight  o'clock  it  began  to  moderate,  and  by  twelve  there 
was  but  a  gentle  breeze,  the  sea  being  yet,  however,  quite 
rough.  That  evening  we  began  our  preparations  for 
rigging  jury  fore  and  main  masts,  and  after  two  days  of 
incessant  and  severe  labor,  were  able  to  set  two  topgal- 
lantsails  on  our  new  masts,  by  the  aid  of  which,  we 
slowly  made  our  way  toward  Calcutta,  to  which  port  it 
was  now  necessary  to  go,  in  order  to  have  the  vessel 
refitted,  as  Madras  Eoads  present  no  facilities  for  such 
work. 

*'It  took  us  thirty-five  days  to  beat  and  drift  up  to 
Sanger  Point,  and  there  we  had  to  take  a  steamer  up  to 
the  city,  as  we  had  neither  anchor  nor  cable  to  hold  us, 
should  it  fall  calm.  In  Calcutta  we  were  obliged  to 
have  put  in  heavy  teak  masts,  which  made  the  old 
craft  so  crank  that  she  would  hardly  stand  up  when  full 
loaded." 


11 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Sail  for  Sydney — Sydney  Coves,  or  Colonials — their  Peculiari- 
ties— Jim's  Yarn — Life  Among  the  Savages  of  New  Guinea. 

We  escaped  from  Madras  without  being  caught  in  a 
gale.  It  being  a  stormy  season  none  of  us  got  ashore  to 
have  a  look  at  the  place.  This  was  of  a  piece  with  my 
usual  luck,  and  I  began  to  think  that  even  in  the  mer- 
chant service  it  was  impossible  to  obtain  more  than  a 
distant  glimpse  at  the  strange  places  one  visits.  I  deter- 
mined, however,  if  we  got  to  Sydney,  that  I  would  see  as 
much  of  that  place  as  appeared  desirable,  and  not  allow 
myself  to  be  disappointed  there. 

We  set  sail  from  Madras  with  a  fair  wind,  glad  to 
be  rid  of  a  place  which  presented  to  us  all  the  evils  of 
harbor  life  on  board  ship,  without  any  of  its  reliefs.  A 
part  of  our  crew  were  on  this  occasion  in  as  high  spirits 
as  British  tars  allow  themselves  to  display  on  any  account. 
They  were  what  is  called  "  Sydney  Coves,"  or  '*  Colo- 
nials," that  is,  old  hands  in  the  Colony  of  New  South 
Wales,  who  had  sailed  from  there  some  years.  These 
all  looked  upon  Sydney  as  the  only  place  in  the  world 
worth  sailing  out  of,  or  living  in. 
(162) 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  163 

These  Colonials  are  as  rough  a  set  of  vagabonds  as 
one  meets  with  even  in  a  forecastle,  but  first  rate  seamen, 
and  orderly,  quiet  fellows  withal,  if  they  are  well  treated. 
They  take  especial  pride  in  saying  but  little,  and  some 
of  them  rival  in  taciturnity  all  that  is  related  of  the 
American  Indians.  A  loud  talker  gains  but  little  credit 
with  them,  as  they  act  upon  the  principle  that  talking 
and  doing  are  not  only  different,  but  entirely  incompat- 
able  things.  They  are  generally  good  boxers,  masters  of 
the  art  of  self-defense,  and  bear  about  them  not  a  few 
scars,  reminiscences  of  past  conflicts.  They  are  very 
much  disliked  by  officers  of  vessels,  because,  although  as 
good  men  as  ever  steered  a  trick,  or  passed  an  earing, 
they  are  quick  to  take  offense,  and  obstinate  as  mules, 
when  once  their  ire  is  roused,  and  they  imagine  them- 
selves badly  used. 

In  the  forecastle  they  are  very  quiet ;  I  have  known 
one  of  them  to  be  a  week  without  saying  a  word  to  any 
one  on  board.  But  woe  to  the  unfortunate  who  gives 
them  offense.  Then  it  is  **  a  word  and  a  blow,  and  the 
blow  comes  first." 

Their  silent  habit  is  a  peculiarity  not  caused  by  a 
lack  of  something  to  say,  for  he  who  can  succeed  in 
drawing  out  an  old  Colonial  will  be  amply  rewarded  by 
some  as  interesting  yarns  as  ever  were  spun.  Those 
with  us  had  followed,  besides  sea  life,  the  business  of 
sheep  and  cattle  tending.  I  rarely  knew  a  Colonial  sea- 
man who  had  not  dipped  into  this  business  occasionally, 
for  a  change,  and  often  wondered  whether  it  was  not  in 
the  utter  loneliness  of  the  wild  wastes  of  Australia  that 


164  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

their  singular  taciturnity  was  first  contracted.  What- 
ever may  have  been  the  original  moving  cause,  it  is  now 
a  peculiar  feature  of  this  class,  and  a  lively  Colonial 
would  be  as  great  a  singularity  as  an  even  moderately 
quiet  Frenchman. 

The  samples  we  had  among  our  crew  were,  to  a  man, 
thorough-going  seamen,  and  although  the  class  bears 
rather  an  ill  name,  I  found  them  very  agreeable  com- 
panions, after  we  had  gotten  pretty  well  acquainted.  I 
do  not  know  what  was  the  reason,  possibly  because  I 
myself  am  somewhat  of  a  silent  person,  but  they  all 
took  a  fancy  to  me,  and  I  received,  before  we  reached 
Sydney,  more  than  one  offer  to  take  me  into  their  frater- 
nity, and  make  me  acquainted  with  Sydney  and  colonial 
life.  These  flattering  proposals  I  did  not  by  any  means 
slight,  for  I  must  confess  that  their  wandering,  vagabond 
mode  of  life,  having  about  it  much  more  of  freedom  than 
there  is  found  in  general  at  sea,  chimed  well  with  the 
spirit  of  adventure  which  had  induced  me  to  become  a 
sailor.  And  had  it  not  been  that  my  fighting  qualities 
were  immensely  below  par,  and  likely  ever  to  remain  so, 
I  might  have  been  to  this  day  a  "  Sydney  cove." 

"  Pity  that  that  little  Yankee  don't  know  how  to  use 
his  maulers — that's  all  he  needs  to  make  a  tip  top  chum 
of  him,"  I  overheard  one  of  them  saying  one  day. 

They  take  great  pride  in  interlarding  their  language 
with  various  phrases  of  a  slang  peculiar  to  the  Austra- 
lian dependency  of  Great  Britain.  A  round  assertion  is 
generally  backed  by  "  My  bloody  colonial  oath  on  that. 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  165 

mate,"  as  a  sign  that  its  truth  is  entirely  beyond  ques- 
tion. 

By  dint  of  a  good  deal  of  management,  and  a  persis- 
tent exercise  of  that  Yankee  faculty,  asking  questions,  I 
got  out  of  two  of  my  shipmates,  before  we  reached  Syd- 
ney, some  of  their  singular  experiences.  One  of  these 
had  been  from  the  first  an  object  of  great  curiosity  to 
me.  His  back  and  breast,  as  well  as  the  back  of  his 
neck,  and  his  arms  and  legs,  were  entirely  covered  with 
a  mass  of  circles  and  other  odd  figures,  pricked  in  with 
India  ink,  or  some  other  blue  pigment.  To  see  various 
figures  on  a  sailor's  arms,  or  even  on  other  portions  of  his 
body,  is  too  common  to  occasion  remark.  But  this  was 
plainly  not  the  work  of  any  sailor  artist,  but  bore  traces 
of  savage  workmanship.  We  were  but  a  few  days  aboard 
when  I  learned  incidentally  that  Jim  had  been  for  five 
years  a  prisoner  among  the  savages  on  the  Island  of 
Papua  or  New  Guinea.  He  was  much  more  silent  than 
any  of  his  comrades,  and  it  was  only  after  most  persis- 
tent and  repeated  questioning  that  he  at  last  told  me  the 
story  of  his  adventures  there. 

He  had  been  cast  away,  or  wrecked,  upon  the  Island, 
while  in  one  of  the  little  schooners  which  sail  from  Syd- 
ney for  the  purpose  of  collecting  sandal  wood  and  tor- 
toise shell,  in  search  of  which  they  visit  all  the  unfre- 
quented isles  in  the  vast  Archipelago  surrounding  the 
island  of  New  Holland.  According  to  his  story,  which 
I  have  no  doubt  was  substantially  true,  as  he  bore  about 
him  many  corroborating  marks,  the  little  craft  in  which 
he  sailed  went  ashore  on  a  small  isle  near  the  main  coast 


166 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 


of  New  Guinea,  in  one  of  the  gales  which  often  suddenly 
spring  up  in  those  latitudes  without  giving  the  mariner 
any  notice  of  their  approach. 

They  had  made  some 
excellent  bargains  of 
sandal  wood,  with  the 
natives  on  various  isles 
they  had  visited,  and 
had  collected  sufficient 
tortoise  shell  to  make 
them  a  good  voyage; 
consequently  were  near- 
ly homeward  bound, 
when  their  schooner 
was  driven  ashore,  and 
all  hands  fell  into  the 
power  of  the  natives. 

These  natives  be- 
longed to  the  main 
island,  New  Guinea, 
having  only  paid  a 
chance  visit  in  their  canoes  to  this  part  of  the  Aroo 
group.  After  the  gale  subsided,  and  they  had  gathered 
what  few  things  were  washed  ashore  from  the  wreck  of 
the  schooner,  they  returned  with  the  crew,  now  their 
prisoners,  to  what  may  be  called  the  main  land.  Here 
my  friend  and  his  shipmates  were  divided  out  among  dif- 
ferent parties,  and  he  had  reason  to  believe  that  most  of 
the  latter  were  eaten  up  when  they  were  sufficiently  fat- 
tened to  be  suitable  for  that  purpose. 


Jim,  the  Captive. 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  167 

Such  was  also  the  fate  in  preparation  for  him,  from 
which  a  mere  accident  saved  him.  He  had  belonged 
some  years  before  to  the  armorer's  gang  on  board  a 
British  man-of-war,  and  had  there  learnt  considerable  of 
the  blacksmith's  handicraft.  Now,  iron  is  the  only  pre- 
cious metal  of  the  natives  of  the  South  Sea  Islands — for 
it  they  will  part  with  anything  they  have,  and  will  even 
peril  life  and  limb  to  obtain  sufficient  for  a  spear-head, 
or  a  spike  for  one  of  their  immense  clubs.  Quite  a  quan- 
tity had  been  gathered  from  the  wrecked  vessel,  and  the 
party  to  whose  lot  Jim  had  fallen,  had  as  their  share 
several  large  pieces,  a  chain  plate,  and  a  few  spikes. 
This  they  immediately  set  about  getting  into  such  shapes 
as  they  desired.  But  with  their  lack  of  tools,  and  igno- 
rance of  the  best  way  to  work  it,  they  made  but  poor 
headway. 

Jim  was  one  day  looking  on  while  the  chief  was  vainly 
attempting  to  break  in  two  the  chain  plate,  when  the 
idea  struck  him  that  he  could  be  of  material  aid  to  them, 
and  thus  perhaps  save  himself  from  the  fate  which  lay 
before  him.  He  explained  to  his  owners  that  fire  was 
necessary  in  order  to  effect  their  purpose  with  the  bar  of 
iron.  They  acted  upon  his  suggestion,  and  rubbing  two 
sticks  of  wood  rapidly  together,  soon  had  a  bright  blaze. 
By  means  of  this,  Jim  soon  got  the  iron  to  a  white  heat, 
and  then  cut  it  in  two  with  a  chisel  which  happened  to 
be  among  the  spikes  in  the  possession  of  the  natives. 

This  at  once  proclaimed  him  a  valuable  man  to  his 
captors,  and  after  a  council  held,  it  was  resolved  to  adopt 
him  into  the  tribe,  provided  he  could  bear  the  pain  of 


168  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

being  tatooed  in  like  manner  with  themselves.  No  time 
was  lost  in  submitting  him  to  the  operation,  and  he,  who 
knew  well  enough  that  to  exhibit  anything  but  the  most 
stoical  indifference  to  the  torture,  would  seal  his  fate,  took 
care  not  to  give  vent  to  a  murmur,  although  the  pain 
must  have  been  excrutiating.  Practiced  with  fine  nee- 
dles, in  the  hand  of  a  skillful  manipulator,  the  tatooing 
is  sufficiently  painful — how  much  more  so  must  it  be 
when  the  instruments  used  are  naught  but  scraps  of 
shells,  sharpened,  when  necessary,  by  being  broken  off 
afresh.  With  these  and  the  liquor  obtained  from  the 
cuttle  fish,  or  rock  squid,  as  it  is  called  by  sailors,  my 
friend  was  covered  from  head  to  foot  with  a  solid  mass 
of  fanciful  figures.  The  entire  operation  lasted  some  six 
months,  as  one  part  was  necessarily  allowed  to  heal  before 
another  was  commenced. 

During  this  time  his  party  had  moved  a  considerable 
distance  inland,  stopping  from  time  to  time  to  hunt  the 
kangaroo,  upon  which,  and  a  species  of  bread  fruit,  with 
such  fish  as  they  could  catch  when  on  the  seacoast,  they 
subsisted.  During  all  this  time  he  was  kept  busy  at  his 
iron  work.  Using  a  stone  for  an  anvil,  and  piece  of  iron 
for  sledge-hammer,  he  forged  several  arrow  and  spear- 
heads, which  gave  immense  satisfaction,  and  raised  him 
to  an  enviable  place  in  the  good  opinions  of  his  cannibal 
friends,  who  appear  from  henceforth  to  have  given  over 
all  ideas  of  making  provender  of  him.  He  was  shortly 
initiated  formally  into  their  tribe  and  provided  with  a 
wife,  which  was  the  only  property  not  held  entirely  in 
common  in  the  community.     His  tribe  now  wandered 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  169 

about  from  one  portion  of  tlie  island  to  the  other,  never 
departing  far  from  the  seacoast,  for  somewhat  over  a  year 
and  a  half  By  this  time  he  had  become  quite  expert  in 
their  manner  of  throwing  the  spear,  their  principal 
weapon  of  offense  and  defence,  and  for  the  chase ;  and 
being  an  active  man,  was  equal  to  any  of  his  masters  in 
all  the  artifices  by  which  they  gain  their  subsistence 
from  the  wild  beasts  of  the  forests. 

At  this  time  the  tribe  of  which  he  had  become  a  mem- 
ber got  into  difficulties  with  one  of  the  others  relative  to 
the  ownership  of  an  iron  spike,  one  of  the  relics  of  Jim's 
schooner,  and  a  war  was  the  consequence.  In  this  Jim 
was,  of  course,  obliged  to  take  part,  and  he  so  distin- 
guished himself  that,  on  the  death  of  the  old  chief,  he 
was  unanimously  chosen  to  fill  his  place. 

This  accession  of  dignity  necessitated  the  performance 
of  another  small  piece  of  tatooing.  A  collar,  namely, 
was  to  be  placed  upon  his  neck,  and  a  few  circles  upon 
his  cheeks.  But,  to  one  whose  entire  body  was  only  one 
mass  of  scars,  such  trifles  of  torture  were  as  nothing. 
He  entered  upon  his  new  office,  and  in  two  energetic  bat- 
tles brought  the  war  to  a  close,  his  tribe  remaining  in 
undisputed  possession  of  the  iron  treasure. 

Jim  had  now  arrived  at  the  very  pinacle  of  greatness. 
He  was  master  over  some  hundred  naked  savages,  digni- 
fied with  a  collar,  tatooed  into  his  neck,  and  was  entitled 
to  the  first  mouthful  of  a  mess  of  wood  worms,  (a  dainty 
dish  of  these  people,  as  well  as  of  the  natives  of  Aus- 
tralia,) and  the  choicest  piece  of  a  roasted  prisoner  of 
war.     Yet  he  was  far  from  contented.     He  longed  to 


170  THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

return  to  a  state  of  civilization,  and  the  principal  advan- 
tage he  took  of  the  power  placed  in  his  hands  was  to 
keep  his  subjects  as  near  the  seacoast  as  possible,  in  the 
hope  that  some  passing  trader  would  stop  to  barter,  and 
he  would  thus  be  enabled  to  make  his  escape  from  this 
living  tomb. 

Being  very  illiterate,  he  had  long  ere  this  lost  all 
reckoning  of  time,  all  days  being  the  same,  and  there  not 
being  sufficient  change  in  the  seasons  to  enable  him  even 
to  guess  at  the  months.  Thus  he  lived  on  for  ^Ye  long 
years,  in  all  which  time  he  saw  but  two  vessels,  neither 
one  passing  sufficiently  near  to  the  land  to  enable  him  to 
attract  their  notice  by  signals.  These  occasions  proved 
to  him  that  his  tribe  were  not  disposed  to  let  him  go 
without  a  struggle,  and  that  they  suspected  his  desire  to 
leave  them ;  for  at  sight  of  the  ships  they  quickly  hurried 
off  into  the  woods. 

When  he  had  been  about  three  years  and  a  half  upon 
the  island,  according  to  his  computation,  the  iron  which 
was  obtained  at  the  wreck  had  been  in  great  part  used 
up  or  lost,  and  most  of  his  tribe  were  reduced  to  the  ne- 
cessity of  using  sharp  shells  for  heads  to  their  long  light 
spears.  Jim  now  endeavored  to  stir  their  avarice,  (for 
iron  is  to  these  people  like  gold  to  their  more  civilized 
brethren,)  by  telling  them  that  if  they  could  only  speak 
a  vessel,  they  could  get  in  exchange  for  sandal  wood, 
with  which  the  coast  abounds,  as  much  of  the  precious 
metal  as  their  hearts  could  desire.  This  set  them  upon 
the  lookout ;  but  no  vessel  appeared. 

Poor  Jim  was  almost  in  despair,  and  had  nearly  given 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  171 

up  all  hope  of  ever  being  so  fortunate  as  to  return  to  the 
society  of  white  men,  when  meeting  a  strange  tribe  one 
day,  whom  a  scarcity  of  kangaroos  had  driven  down  to 
the  seacoast  in  search  of  shell-fish,  he  learned  inciden- 
tally that  at  a  point  some  two  hundred  miles  from  them, 
as  near  as  he  could  compute  from  the  story,  but  certainly 
east  of  them,  two  strange  vessels  touched  annually  for 
trading  purposes.  The  crews  were  not  whites,  and  from  the 
description,  he  judged  them  to  be  Arabs  or  Malays  ;  but 
there  were  vessels,  and  they  traded,  and  this  was  sufficient 
evidence  that  the  people  were  at  least  less  savage  than 
the  Papuans.  Hope  once  more  glowed  in  his  bosom,  and 
he  determined  to  make  his  way  eastward  until  the  desired 
haven  should  be  attained. 

Making  glowing  representations  to  his  subjects  of  the 
riches  they  would  obtain,  could  they  reach  the  trading 
station  in  time  to  meet  one  of  the  vessels,  they  were  at 
length  induced  to  turn  their  tardy  steps  that  way.  Fish- 
ing and  hunting,  and  remaining  for  days  in  one  place, 
when  they  found  an  abundance  of  food,  it  was  yet  a 
year  and  a  half  before  they  at  last  reached  a  little  bay, 
where  the  glad  sight  of  a  Malay  proa  cheered  his  breast. 
The  tribe  quickly  gathered  a  quantity  of  sandal  wood  on 
the  neighboring  hills,  and  with  this  they  approached  the 
vessel.  Here  they  found  the  crew  fully  armed  and  pre- 
pared to  defend  themselves  against  any  assaults  of  the 
treacherous  natives.  But  one  boat  was  allowed  to  ap- 
proach the  vessel  at  a  time,  and  but  one  man  from  that 
boat  was  permitted  to  come  on  board.  This  boat  Jim 
determined  should  be  his — this  man  would  be  himself. 


172  THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

And  paying  no  heed  to  some  objections  urged  by  bis  com- 
panions, be  embarked  a  portion  of  sandal  wood  in  an  old 
canoe  wbich  be  found  upon  tbe  sbore,  and  started  oflF  for 
tbe  proa. 

Arriving  along  side,  be  clambered  on  deck  witb  an 
agility  tbat  somewbat  surprised  tbe  Malays,  wbo  saw  in 
tbe  wretcbed  stark  naked  creature  before  tbem  only  a 
native.  Constant  exposure  to  tbe  sun  and  weatber  bad 
turned  bis  skin  to  nearly  tbe  color  of  tbe  islanders,  and 
tbe  barbarous  tatooing  witb  wbicb  be  was  disfigured, 
sufficiently  completed  tbe  disguise. 

Arrived  on  board,  be  was  only  involved  in  a  new 
perplexity.  How  was  be  to  make  bimself  known  to 
tbe  Malays  as  an  Englisbman  ?  He  could  not  speak 
tbeir  tongue,  and  even  if  tbey  understood  a  few 
words  of  Englisb,  tbey  would  not  believe  a  statement 
wbicb  bis  appearance  so  strongly  contradicted.  As  tbis 
tbougbt  sbot  tbrougb  bis  mind,  poor  fellow,  bis  beart 
sank,  and  be  was  nearly  giving  up  all  bope.  Nevertbe- 
less,  be  determined  to  try,  and  bauling  bis  sandal  wood 
on  deck,  to  attract  tbe  attention  of  tbe  crew,  be  advanced 
to  tbe  captain  and  uttered  tbe  words,  "  Me  Englisb." 

How  strange  tbey  sounded  to  bis  ears — tbese  words  of 
Englisb.  Tbe  captain  looked  at  bim  a  moment,  tben 
burst  out  in  a  loud  laugb  at  tbe  idea  tbat  one  of  tbe  sav- 
ages bad  somebow  gathered  up  two  words  of  Englisb. 
Poor  Jim  repeated  bis  asseveration,  witb  distressed  earn- 
estness, "  Me  Englisb,  captain,  me  Englisb  sailor." 

Not  a  shadow  of  perplexity  even  darkened  tbe  cap- 
tain's countenance,  as  be  turned  to  some  of  bis  men,  and 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  173 

remarked,  (as  Jim  afterward  learned,)  upon  the  singu- 
larity of  this  native  having  caught  up  some  words  of 
English  language. 

Jim  was  in  despair;  but  now  an  idea  struck  him. 
Eagerly  grasping  the  end  of  a  piece  of  the  coir  rigging 
lying  upon  deck,  he  formed  upon  his  hand,  and  on  the 
standing  rigging,  several  of  the  knots  with  which  the  sea- 
men of  all  nations  are  familiar. 

At  this  spectacle  a  light  seemed  to  dawn  upon  the  cap- 
tain's face,  and  he  looked  inquiringly  at  him  a  few  mo- 
ments. The  suspense  was  too  great,  and  Jim,  bursting 
into  tears,  muttered  beseechingly,  *'  Me  English,  captain, 
take  me  to  Singapore." 

The  curiosity  of  the  crew  was  now  thoroughly  aroused, 
and  they  crowded  about  him,  and  examined  him  more 
narrowly  than  they  had  before  done.  Lifting  up  his 
arms,  Jim  showed  them  where  two  white  spots  were  yet 
left  on  him,  and  they  were  now  speedily  satisfied  that  he 
was  truly  an  English  sailor. 

In  a  few  broken  words  of  English,  the  captain  asked 
him  how  he  came  there,  and  Jim.  part  in  his  native 
tongue,  and  part  by  lively  pantomime,  explained  his  his- 
tory to  them,  and  asked  them  to  take  him  along  with 
them.  This  was,  after  consultation,  agreed  to,  if  Jim 
could  get  a  load  of  sandal  wood  for  them. 

Although  reluctant  to  set  foot  on  shore  again,  he  was 
obliged  to  accede  to  the  captain's  proposal,  and  taking 
some  old  iron,  beads,  and  a  looking  glasses  ashore,  in  re- 
turn for  what  he  had  brought  on  board,  he  proceeded  to 
the  rather  arduous  task  of  getting  the  natives  there 


174  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

assembled,  several  tribes,  to  gather  immediately  a  quan- 
tity of  the  required  wood. 

The  fact  of  his  having  come  back  to  them,  apparently 
voluntarily,  lulled  to  rest  any  suspicions  of  his  fidelity  to 
them,  which  they  might  previously  have  entertained,  and 
this  renewed  confidence  gave  the  greater  force  to  his  com- 
mands. The  sight  of  the  articles  he  had  brought  ofi^, 
especially  the  iron,  stirred  up  also  their  avarice,  and 
seeing  what  appeared  to  them  vast  riches,  within  their 
grasp,  they  set  to  heartily,  and  in  two  days  had  sufiicient 
wood  gathered  to  load  the  proa. 

Meantime  the  crew  of  the  vessel  were  keeping  strict 
watch  on  board,  to  provide  against  any  hostile  attempts 
by  the  natives.  The  crews  of  the  vessels,  British  as 
well  as  Arab  and  Malay,  which  cruise  after  sandal  wood, 
could  oftentimes  fill  up  their  craft  in  a  short  time  them- 
selves, were  it  not  that  to  go  ashore  for  that  purpose, 
would  be  to  rush  rashly  on  destruction,  as  the  natives 
are  always  ready  to  attack  a  vessel  which  is  not  fully 
guarded.  The  prospect  of  securing  the  treasures  of  iron 
and  other  material,  to  be  found  in  such  a  prize,  would 
make  them  brave  every  danger,  if  there  was  the  slightest 
hope  of  their  success  in  an  attack.  It  is  therefore  found 
necessary  to  barter  with  the  savages,  and  even  then  to 
use  every  precaution  against  treachery. 

On  the  third  day  Jim  had  the  satisfaction  to  see  piled 
upon  the  beach,  a  quantity  of  sandal  wood  sufficient  to 
fill  the  narrow  hold  of  the  little  proa,  and  again  he  went 
along  side  in  his  canoe,  to  make  the  final  arrangements 
respecting  its  transfer  to  the  vessel,  and  his  deliverance 


THE     MERCHANT     VESSEL.  175 

from  captivity.  It  was  arranged  that  for  every  canoe 
load  of  wood  brought  off,  he  should  take  ashore  an 
equivalent  in  iron,  trinkets,  and  bright  colored  cloth ; 
that  meanwhile  the  vessel  should  be  quietly  gotten  ready 
for  sailing  at  a  moments  notice,  and  when  he  was  near 
the  end  of  his  wood  pile,  the  little  kedge  which  held  the 
proa  was  to  be  quickly  weighed,  the  lug  sail  hoisted, 
while  he,  staving  the  canoe,  should  jump  aboard,  as  the 
vessel  stood  seaward. 

One  of  the  peculiarly  favoring  circumstances  for  Jim 
was,  that  the  party,  or  tribe  of  natives  to  whom  this 
little  harbor  really  belonged,  had  a  few  days  before  the 
arrival  of  the  Malays,  gone  in  their  fleet  of  canoes,  upon 
a  warlike  expedition  to  another  portion  of  the  island, 
leaving  but  two  or  three  rickety  canoes  in  the  entire 
neighborhood.  Had  they  all  been  there,  his  escape  would 
have  been  rendered  almost  hopeless,  as  in  their  exaspe- 
ration the  natives  would  doubtless  have  attacked  the 
proa,  and  perhaps  overcome  her  by  dint  of  superior  num- 
bers. Supposing,  which  was  not  likely,  that  the  Malay 
captain  would  under  such  circumstances  have  consented 
to  receive  him  on  board. 

As  the  moment  drew  near  which  was  to  decide  his  fate, 
and  either  give  him  his  freedom,  or  consign  him  to  a 
slavery  more  hopeless  than  ever  before,  it  may  be  imagined 
that  poor  Jim's  heart  grew  faint,  with  fear  that  some 
unthought  of  accident  might  defeat  his  well  laid  scheme. 
Should  the  natives  conclude  to  put  some  one  else  in  the 
boat,  and  retain  him  ashore,  or  should  the  wind  fail,  or 


176  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

worse  yet,  the  fleet  of  boats  suddenly  heave  in  sight,  he 
knew  that  his  first,  perhaps  his  only  chance  for  deliver- 
ance was  gone.  But  luckily  the  breeze  held,  the  boats 
did  not  make  their  appearance,  and  the  natives  appeared 
to  think  of  anything  else  but  his  escape. 

When  yet  full  two  canoe  loads  remained  upon  the 
beach,  Jim  determined  that  he  would  venture  no  more. 
While  along  side,  and  slowly  passing  in  the  wood,  the 
anchor  was  silently  run  up  to  the  bows,  and,  overturning 
the  canoe  with  his  foot,  with  a  shout  of  exultation  my 
friend  jumped  aboard,  and  with  hearty  swigs  pulled  up 
the  mainsail,  while  the  captain  steered  the  vessel  out  of 
the  harbor. 

For  some  moments  the  savages  did  not  comprehend  the 
drift  of  the  maneuver,  so  completely  had  Jim's  actions 
of  the  previous  day  won  upon  their  confidence,  but  when 
they  saw  him  pulling  lustily  at  the  halyards,  and  the 
vessel  gathering  headway  toward  the  harbor's  mouth, 
they  set  up  a  roar  of  angry  disappointment,  and  rushed 
wildly  up  and  down  the  beach,  calling  upon  him  to  come 
back. 

Having  a  fair  wind,  however,  they  were  soon  out  of 
hearing  and  sight  of  Jim's  savage  comrades,  and  next 
morning  no  longer  saw  the  land.  The  Malay  captain 
supplied  him  with  some  clothing,  the  first  he  had  worn 
since,  five  years  before,  his  own  had  been  taken  from 
him  by  the  natives ;  and  he  began  once  more  to  assume 
the  forms  of  civilization.  Twenty  days  brought  the 
vessel  to  Singapore,  where  he  was  at  length  among  his 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  177 

countrymen ;  but  so  much  altered  and  defaced  that  he 
found  it  difficult  to  persuade  any  one  of  the  fact  that  he 
was  an  Englishman. 

During  his  long  captivity  he  had  forgotten  many  words 
of  English,  and  at  first  expressed  himself  very  awk- 
wardly ;  but  a  voyage  in  a  British  vessel  to  Calcutta, 
made  him  once  more  at  home  among  old  scenes.  Only 
one  thing  he  never  more  got  accustomed  to ;  this  was  to 
wear  shoes.  His  feet,  he  complained,  had  gotten  tender 
by  long  tramping  about  among  rocks  and  shells,  and 
shoes  were  a  great  inconvenience  to  him.  On  board  ship 
he  never  used  them,  and  when  ashore  the  softest  pumps 
were  his  only  wear. 

Of  the  manners  of  the  savages  he  had  but  little  to  tell 
me.  The  men  wore  no  clothing  whatever.  The  women 
wore  slight  coverings  of  the  large  leaves  of  a  species  of 
palm.  Being  a  wandering  people,  they  had  no  regularly 
built  habitations.  In  fine  weather  they  slept  under 
shelter  of  the  trees,  and  even  often  climbed  up  into  them 
to  secure  a  more  comfortable  resting  place.  In  wet 
weather,  during  the  periodical  rains,  they  chose  a  site 
where  to  remain  during  their  continuance,  and  then  con- 
structed rude  huts  of  sticks,  roofed  with  leaves,  and  gen- 
erally set  up  on  posts,  as  the  earth  was  too  wet  to  rest 
upon,  and  here  they  hovered  in  dismal  discomfort,  till  the 
return  of  the  pleasant  season. 

Although  apparently  devoid  of  energy  in  most  respects, 

they  were  passionate,  quickly  roused  to  anger,  and  even 

jealous.     Although   destitute   to   the  last  degree,  they 

were  avaricious  for  the  possession  of  sucli  articles  as  they 

12 


178  THE    MERCHANT    YESSEL. 

placed  value  upon,  among  which  iron  was  evidently  chief. 
Hence  arose  frequent  wars  between  different  tribes,  in 
which  the  prisoners  were  in  great  part  used  to  satisfy 
the  hunger  of  their  captors.  The  kangaroo  and  several 
smaller  animals,  and  numerous  birds,  together  with  such 
shellfish  as  they  could  gather  upon  the  beach,  formed 
their  only  subsistence,  and  when  game  was  scarce  they 
often  fared  poorly  enough. 

One  article  of  food,  besides,  Jim  mentioned  to  me — 
the  worms  found  in  decayed  wood.  A  mess  of  these  was 
considered  a  great  luxury,  and  he  declared  in  telling  me 
the  story,  that  after  he  got  used  to  them,  they  really  tasted 
very  well.     They  were  roasted  in  large  shells  over  a  fire. 

Of  fruits,  there  appear  to  have  been  but  few,  com- 
pared with  the  usual  plenty  of  tropical  countries,  and 
with  these  he  was  not  familiar.  Of  birds,  there  was  a 
great  variety,  and  they  frequently  caught  parrots  and 
other  birds,  and  used  them  for  food. 

Their  dead  they  buried  in  a  shallow  hole  dug  in  the 
ground  at  some  distance  from  their  then  abiding  place. 
He  spoke  highly  of  their  dexterity  in  throwing  their  rude 
spears,  and  of  the  ingenious  artifices  used  to  surprise 
and  capture  the  kangaroo. 

The  people  he  described  as  of  rather  short  stature, 
perfectly  black,  and  with  curly  hair  almost  like  a  ne- 
groe's.'-"     Their  features   were   thoroughly   African,    in 

*^  Jim^s  hair  was  black,  and  curled  very  closely,  a  circum- 
stance wliicli  in  all  probability  made  his  recognition  as  a  white 
man,  by  the  Malay  captain,  more  difficult  than  it  otherwise 
would  have  been. 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  179 

some  cases  even  exaggeratedly  so.  Jim  seemed  to  have 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  very  lowest  class  of  the 
natives  of  New  Guinea.  He  said  he  was  frequently  told 
by  natives  of  tribes  they  met,  of  a  people  occupying  the 
inland  portion  of  the  island,  who  had  houses,  and  culti- 
vated the  land,  and  who,  from  the  rude  descriptions 
given  of  them,  must  have  attained  to  a  considerable 
degree  of  civilization;  But  his  tribe  strenuously  objected 
to  holding  any  intercourse  with  these,  fearing  that  they 
would  be  by  them  made  to  work,  i.  e.  made  slaves  of. 
Jim,  indeed,  was  not  himself  very  willing  to  leave  the 
coast,  as  there  lay  his  only  hope  of  ever  being  returned 
to  a  civilized  land.  And  he  feared,  should  he  once  get 
among  the  more  civilized  natives,  they  would  prevent 
him  from  returning  again  to  the  sea  shore. 

So  ended  his  story.  Had  he  been  a  man  of  some  de- 
gree of  education,  and  of  an  energetic  and  inquisitive 
character,  the  civilized  world  might  have  been  indebted 
to  him  for  a  most  interesting  account  of  a  land  which  is 
as  yet  more  thoroughly  terra  incognita  than  the  heart  of 
Africa ;  for  no  where  on  the  entire  island  have  whites 
penetrated  more  than  a  mile  or  two  from  shore,  and  even 
that  only  in  a  few  spots,  and  in  hasty  incursions,  giving 
no  time  for  observation.  As  it  was,  Jim's  only  object 
seems  to  have  been  to  watch  for  a  vessel  by  which  he 
could  make  his  escape.     Said  I  to  him  one  day, 

"  If  I  had  been  in  your  place,  I  should  have  struck 
inland,  and  taken  my  chance  of  what  might  happen." 

''  But  the  tri»3e  I  was  with  would  not  go,  even  had  I 
been  desirous  to  do  so,  and  what  could  I  do,  naked  and 


180  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

alone,  in  tlie  vast  woods,  without  even  having  any  dis- 
tinct idea  of  the  course  which  would  lead  me  to  a  more 
civilized  place.  And  then,  to  turn  myself  away  from 
the  only  avenue  for  escape  from  a  life  long  bondage — I 
could  not  do  it." 

It  must  not  be  thought  that  this  long  story  was  told 
me  by  Jim,  just  as  I  have  written  it.  His  habitual  taci- 
turnity would  not  have  given  way  so  far  as  to  spin  such 
a  yarn  "  right  off  the  reel."  It  was  only  by  dint  of 
most  persistent  and  adroit  questioning,  taking  him  when 
he  was  in  his  best  humor,  generally  in  the  night  watches, 
when  he  had  just  completed  his  trick  at  the  wheel — a  sea- 
son of  good  humor  generally  with  sailors — that  I  obtained 
it.  Here  a  little  and  there  a  little,  I  picked  up  all  his 
experience,  and  had  I  not,  by  the  practice  of  various 
little  arts,  made  myself  a  favorite  with  him,  I  should 
never  have  gotten  any  of  it.  Although  not  adhering 
strictly  to  the  language  of  the  narrator,  I  have  taken 
care  to  give  the  facts  just  as  they  were  stated  to  me. 


CHAPTERXV. 

Sydney — Sailors'  Amusements — Tired  of  the  Shore — Looking  for 
a  Voyage — Ship — The  Brig  Ocean — Her  Crew — Description 
of  the  Vessel — Nearly  a  quarrel. 

Our  passage  to  Sydney  lasted  forty-five  days.  Here, 
after  discharging  our  cargo,  the  crew  were  paid  ofi*,  and 
with  six  pounds  sterling  received  as  my  wages,  and  some 
money  brought  with  me  from  the  United  States,  I  went 
ashore.  On  uniting  our  funds,  George  and  I  found  our- 
selves the  possessors  of  eighty  dollars,  quite  a  large  sum 
of  money  for  two  sailors.  We  determined  to  remain 
on  shore  till  we  were  heartily  tired  of  it ;  and  to  make 
the  cash  hold  out,  I,  who  was  the  steadiest  of  the  two, 
was  appointed  keeper  of  the  purse,  with  an  agreement 
that  only  a  certain  sum  per  diem  should  1)0  given  out. 

First  we  purchased  a  few  necessary  articles  of  clothing, 
and  a  chest  for  our  joint  use.  Your  true  sailor  will  gen- 
erally be  found  to  have  a  good  chest  of  sea  clothing.  In 
this  he  takes  much  pride,  and  let  him  be  as  drunken 
a  fellow  as  may  be,  to  replenish  it  he  spends  a  large  part 
of  the  proceeds  of  every  voyage.  Experience  has  taught 
him  that  in  this  matter  delay  is  dangerous,  and  his  first 

(181) 


182  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

outlay,  before  he  ventures  on  a  spree,  is  with  the  tailor 
or  slop-seller.  Having  filled  his  chest  with  the  various 
flannels,  dungarees,  oilcloths,  etc.,  needed,  the  balance  he 
considers  himself  at  liberty  to  use  as  inclination  prompts 
him,  leaving  any  deficiencies  in  his  board  bill  or  gro 
money  to  be  settled  for  out  of  the  never-failing  month' 
advance. 

I  had  imagined  Sydney  to  be  a  rather  rambling  and 
ill-constructed,  dirty  colonial  town,  such  as  one  not  un- 
frequently  meets  with  in  the  British  colonies.  I  was, 
therefore,  agreeably  astonished  to  find  it,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  more  ancient  portion  of  the  city,  a  regularly 
laid  out  and  well  built  place,  the  streets  and  public 
buildings  of  which  would  have  been  no  discredit  to  an 
European  seaport  of  its  size.  There  was,  too,  a  finished 
appearance  about  it  which  I  had  hardly  expected  to  see, 
and  many  of  the  larger  buildings  had  quite  an  ancient 
appearance.  Everything  about  it  was  peculiarly  Eng- 
lish,'''=  and  when  I  got  into  the  quarter  in  which  are  loca- 
ted the  sailor's  boarding  houses,  had  it  not  been  for  the 
strong  dash  of  colonial  recklessness  and  extravagance 
everywhere  perceptible,  I  could  have  easily  imagined  my- 
self in  some  seaport  of  England — London  or  Liverpool. 

The  English,  particularly  of  the  lower  classes,  of  which 
almost  the  entire  population  of  Sydney,  rich  and  poor,  at 
that  time  was  composed,  are  a  people  of  peculiar  habits 


'•'  This  was  before  the  discovery  of  gold  in  the  colony  of  New 
Bouth  Wales.  The  Sydney  of  to-day  is  probably  quite  a  diflfer- 
ent  place. 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  183 

and  manners,  which  they  carry  with  them,  and  resolutely 
introduce  wherever  they  may  wander.  And  I  found  here 
all  the  prominent  characteristics  of  the  Englishman 
fully,  perhaps  a  little  extravagantly  developed.  It  was 
just  as  though  a  portion  of  London  or  Liverpool  had 
been  by  some  magic  power  removed  to  this  extreme  end 
of  the  world. 

The  city  is  very  pleasantly  situated  a  part  on  a  rising 
ground,  a  kind  of  promontory,  and  a  part  in  the  adjoin- 
ing valley.  It  fronts  on  Sydney  Cove,  a  secure  harbor 
about  seven  miles  from  the  capes  or  headlands  which  form 
Port  Jackson  Bay. 

One  of  the  principal  amusements  here  for  sailors  is 
horse-riding.  As  my  chum,  George,  was  fully  intent 
upon  seeing  all  of  *'  life  "  that  was  to  be  seen,  he  of  course 
must  go  horse-riding  too,  while  I  wandered  about  town  to 
get  a  look  at  the  most  note- worthy  places.  The  Parra- 
matta  Eoad  is  the  theater  of  Jack's  horsemanship,  and 
thither  George,  in  company  with  some  of  our  late  ship- 
mates, proceeded  one  afternoon  on  a  parcel  of  as  hard- 
mouthed  beasts  as  even  sailors  usually  get  hold  of.  The 
party  did  not  return  till  late  at  night,  when  I  was 
already  in  dream-land,  and  I  saw  nothing  of  George  till 
next  morning,  when  he  appeared  before  my  bed  with  as 
rueful  face  as  he  could  put  on,  and  proposed  to  go  down 
after  breakfast  and  hunt  a  ship. 

"  I  want  to  get  out  of  this  confounded  place.  I  rode 
about  yesterday  till  I'm  as  sore  this  morning  as  though 
some  one  had  beaten  me  with  a  stick,  and  now  those  fel- 
lows want  me  to  go  out  again.     It's  an  imposition.     They 


184  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

call  this  a  good  port,  but  thej  don't  know  what  good  is," 
growled  he. 

I  suggested  to  him  that  there  was  no  law  compelling 
him  to  ride  on  horseback. 

"Well,  but  what  is  a  poor  fellow  to  do?  I'm  not 
going  to  loaf  about  the  town  all  day.  And  there's  no- 
thing else  to  see.  I'll  have  to  get  drunk  to  pass  away 
the  time." 

"  Let's  go  cattle-tending,  George." 

*'  Mention  cattle-tending  again,  and  I'll  use  a  cowhide 
on  you.  Do  you  want  to  make  a  live  mummy  of  your- 
self?    Let's  go  down  and  ship." 

Thus  it  is  with  the  sailor.  He  is  all  eagerness  to  get 
ashore,  and  is  hardly  there  before  he  is  glad  to  get  away 
again.  Having  no  friends,  and  debarred  by  his  calling 
and  his  dress,  if  not  by  lack  of  education,  from  inter- 
course with  any  but  those  of  his  own  class,  a  few  days 
suffice  to  tire  him  of  the  stupid  amusements  into  which 
he  is  dragged,  often  against  his  will ;  he  becomes  thor- 
oughly wearied,  and  is  almost  forced,  if  he  can't  get  a  ship 
to  get  drunk,  as  my  old  chum  proposed  to  do,  in  mere 
self-defense. 

To  me,  too,  the  time  would  soon  have  begun  to  grow 
tedious.  It  took  but  a  few  days  to  see  all  that  was  ac- 
cessible to  me,  a  sailor.  To  take  a  trip  into  the  country, 
which  I  would  have  much  liked,  I  lacked  means,  and 
also  friends  to  expedite  me  on  my  way.  I  therefore 
agreed  to  George's  proposal,  putting  off  the  execution  of 
it,  however,  to  next  day.  For  that  day  we  hired  a  car- 
riage, and  made  the  driver  take  us  through  every  street 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  185 

in  the  city  accessible  to  a  four-wheeled  vehicle,  and  then 
out  into  the  country,  on  the  road  leading  to  Botany  Bay, 
returning  in  time  to  get  our  supper. 

Xext  morning  we  proceeded  to  seek  for  a  ship.  I 
wished  much  to  make  a  voyage  in  one  of  the  sandal 
wood  hunters  which  sail  from  here — the  kind  of  vessel 
in  which  my  friend  Jim  had  been  wrecked — but  there 
were  just  then  none  in  port,  and  I  was  compelled  to  give 
up  my  project,  mentally  determining  to  put  it  in  execu- 
tion at  some  future  time.  Sailors  were  in  demand  just 
at  that  time  in  Sydney,  and  we  did  not  lack  offers  of 
voyages.  But  I  was  determined  to  be  suited  before  I 
shipped,  and  did  not  therefore  allow  Greorge  to  engage 
himself  till  we  had  taken  a  good  look  around. 

We  settled  at  length  upon  a  colonial  brig,  which  was 
about  to  proceed  to  Lombok,  there  to  take  in  a  cargo  of 
rice,  to  carry  to  Macao  or  Whampoa.  It  promised  to  be 
a  novel  voyage,  and  the  brig  was  a  likely  vessel.  The 
crew — she  was  to  carry  ten  hands  before  the  mast — were 
good  looking  men,  and  the  officers  had  a  good  name. 
Above  all,  we  were  promised  our  discharge  when  we  got 
to  China,  and  with  this  additional  inducement  George 
and  I  were  satisfied  to  put  our  names  to  the  articles  of 
the  good  brig  Ocean,  of  Sydney,  at  three  pounds  per 
month,  and  small  stores.  By  this  latter  clause  is  meant 
that  the  vessel  would  furnish  us  with  tea  and  sugar,  it  be- 
ing the  practice,  with  many  English  owners  and  captains, 
to  make  their  men  furnish  these  essentials,  and  such  other 
luxuries  as  come  properly  under  the  denomination  of 


186  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

email  stores,  paying  them  in  such  cases  a  slight  increase 
on  their  regular  wages. 

The  brig  was  to  sail  in  a  few  days,  but  her  crew 
was  wanted  on  board  immediately,  a  circumstance  at 
which  I  heartily  rejoiced,  as  it  would  save  us  money. 
On  counting  up  our  balance  of  cash  on  hand,  I  found 
that  George  and  I  had  spent,  including  clothing  and 
boarding,  fifty  dollars  in  a  little  less  than  two  weeks, 
leaving  us  thirty.  One  month's  advance  to  each  of  us,  fif- 
teen dollars,  increased  our  store  to  sixty  dollars,  a  vast  deal 
more  than  sailors  generally  take  to  sea  with  them.  But 
we  were  going  to  China,  and  I  wanted  every  dollar  we 
could  get. 

Three  days  after  we  shipped,  we  sailed  for  our  first 
port,  Lombok.  Our  crew  was  composed  entirely  of  "  Syd- 
ney Coves,"  all  lank,  stout,  silent  fellows,  who  ''  did  their 
duty  and  asked  odds  of  no  man,"  as  they  significantly 
said.  The  vessel  was  *'  colonial "  too,  as  before  mentioned, 
and  I  found  her  discipline  to  dififer  greatly  from  that  of 
English  vessels.  A  regular  allowance  of  provisions  was 
served  out,  as  in  the  latter,  but  these  were  of  better 
quality,  and  there  was  no  banyan  day.  Everything  was 
of  the  best,  and  the  cook,  who  received  a  severe  admoni- 
tion to  do  his  duty,  (from  one  of  the  crew,)  on  the  first 
day  out,  got  up  any  kind  of  a  mess  that  the  forecastle- 
chose  to  suggest. 

But  the  greatest  difierence  was  in  the  treatment  of  the 
men  by  the  ofiicers.  There  was  no  haughty  ordering 
here  and  there,  such  as  British  mates  and  captains 
delight  in;    no  unnecessary  pulling    and  hauling,   no 


THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL.  187 

making  spun  yarn,  or  other  contrivances  to  keep  the  men 
busy.  Everything  was  conducted  in  a  very  quiet  way. 
Orders  were  given,  but  the  mode  of  fulfillment  in  general 
entrusted  to  the  men  themselves,  who,  being  thorough 
seamen,  took  proper  pride  in  doing  well  what  was  given 
them. 

We  had  regular  watch  and  watch,  and  no  work  was 
done  after  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  There  was  none 
of  the  usual  hurrying  up.  Each  one,  in  consequence, 
did  his  work  with  a  will.  When  sail  was  to  be  short- 
ened, or  the  topsails  reefed,  the  laying  of  the  yards,  and 
hauling  up  clewlines  or  reeftackles,  was  left  in  great 
measure  in  the  hands  of  the  men  themselves,  and  we  of 
course  took  care  to  make  the  work  as  light  as  possible, 
xind  among  the  crew  there  was  no  holding  back ;  every 
one  knew  his  station,  and  jumped  there  when  he  was  re- 
quired. Altogether,  we  passed  a  very  quiet  and  peace- 
able life,  and  to  me  a  very  pleasant  one. 

How  such  discipline  would  work  with  any  other  than 
Colonials,  it  would  be  difficult  to  say.  Of  course,  unless 
the  crew  were  thorough  seamen,  it  would  lead  in  many 
cases  to  confusion.  With  such  a  rough  and  (j[uick -tem- 
pered set  as  we  had,  it  was  the  only  plan.  They  them- 
selves made  the  rules  by  which  their  officers  were  forced 
to  abide.  The  captain  knew  (|uite  well  that  to  give  them 
just  cause  of  offence,  would  be  to  provoke  a  retaliation 
which  would  be  far  from  pleasant.  And  the  crew,  with 
a  kind  of  feeling  of  honor,  which  I  have  often  noticed  in 
such  characters  as  their' s,  abstained  scrupulously  from 


tSB  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

taking  any  undue  advantage  of  the  power  which  they 
felt  themselves  possessed  of. 

Only  once  during  our  voyage  did  a  misunderstanding 
occur.  It  was  before  we  reached  Lombok,  and  while  we 
were  sailing  through  the  trades.  We  were  about  to  paint 
the  brig  inside.  It  was  intended  to  commence  the  work 
on  Monday  morning,  and  on  the  Sabbath  evening  before, 
the  mate,  who  had  been  taking  a  little  more  grog  during 
the  day  than  was  promotive  of  a  clear  understanding, 
ordered  the  watch  on  deck  to  come  aft  and  lift  aside  some 
spare  topsails,  preparatory  for  the  morrow's  work.  One 
of  the  men  quietly  remarked  that  it  was  Sunday,  and  it 
was  not  customary  to  work  on  that  day. 

*'  Come  aft  this  instant,  and  don't  talk  to  me  of  Sun- 
day, or  I'll  keep  you  to  work  every  Sunday  during  the 
cruise,"  shouted  the  drunken  mate,  highly  excited. 

**  You'd  better  come  and  take  us  aft,"  was  the  answer 
to  this. 

All  hands  came  up  out  of  the  forecastle,  and  it  was  at 
once  understood  that  the  order  was  not  to  be  obeyed. 
The  mate  was  by  this  time  aware  that  he  was  getting 
himself  into  trouble,  and  when  the  sound  of  handspikes 
being  gathered  up,  in  readiness  for  a  row,  struck  upon 
his  ear,  he  dove  down  into  the  cabin  to  ask  the  skipper's 
advice. 

The  latter  immediately  came  upon  deck,  and  glancing 
for  a  moment  over  the  crowd  collected  about  the  wind- 
lass, called  the  oldest  of  the  seamen  by  name,  desiring 
him  to  come  aft.  This  he  did,  and  the  captain,  who  felt, 
of  course,  bound  to  support  his  mate,  even  if  he  was 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  189 

wrong,  represented  to  John  that  the  matter  required  was 
a  mere  trifle — that  it  would  establish  no  precedent — that 
the  mate  was  anxious  to  get  at  the  painting  as  early  as 
possible  on  the  following  day,  and  finally  wound  up  by 
reminding  him  that  disobedience  to  orders  was  mutiny, 
and  that  in  such  cases  he,  the  captain,  was  empowered  to 
proceed  to  extreme  measures. 

John  heard  him  through,  then  said  very  drily,  "  Cap- 
tain, if  you  knew  how  little  I  cared  about  you,  you'd  be 
surprised,"  and  walked  forward  to  the  forecastle. 

How  much  the  captain  was  surprised  at  this  thor- 
oughly characteristic  remark,  it  would  be  hard  to  tell, 
but  there  was  no  more  said  about  moving  the  spars,  and 
we  were  never  after  called  upon  for  any  Sunday  work. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

A  Yarn  of  Sandal  Wood  Hunting — Arrival  at  Lombok — The 
Natives — Chinese  Residents — Manner  of  Life  of  the  People — 
Take  in  Cargo — The  Country-Wallah — Her  Crew. 

Setting  aside  the  little  inconveniences  and  crosses 
which  are  unavoidable  in  every  ship,  and  which  merely 
served  the  purpose  of  enabling  my  worthy  chum,  George, 
to  relieve  himself  of  his  superfluous  bile,  I  think  I  never 
enjoyed  any  voyage  so  much  as  this  in  the  brig  Ocean. 
Our  course  lay  through  a  nearly  uninterrupted  succession 
of  fine  weather,  in  which  the  dark  little  forecastle  was 
almost  entirely  deserted,  and  we  all  slept  and  lived  on 
deck.  We  were  as  nearly  our  own  masters  as  it  is  good 
for  sailors  to  be,  and  with  an  experienced  and  thoroughly 
united  crew,  we  could  scarcely  fail  of  being  tolerably 
contented. 

As  for  myself,  I  lived  in  an  atmosphere  of  romance. 
The  voyage  was  a  novel  one,  and  quite  out  of  the  usual 
line  of  such  sailors  as  I  had  been  most  among.  And  the 
past  experiences  of  my  shipmates,  as  communicated  to 
one  another  and  to  me  in  the  pleasant  dog-watches,  as  we 
lay  on  deck  in  the  half  light  of  the  bright  stars,  with 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  191 

soft  zephyrs  wafting  us  along,  were  an  inexhaustible 
source  of  interest  to  me. 

Some  of  these  men  had  not  been  the  other  side  of  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  for  many  years.  They  had  sailed 
from  Sydney,  in  every  direction,  to  the  most  out-of-the- 
way  places,  and  on  the  strangest  errands.  India,  China, 
the  Ladrones,  the  Phillipines,  and  the  island  world  of  the 
South  Pacific :  with  all  they  were  familiar,  of  each  they 
had, something  to  relate.  Here  I  heard  over  again  the 
story  of  the  Christian  settlement  on  Pitcairn's  Island, 
which  had  formed  one  of  our  Sunday  School  volumes  at 
home.  But  how  much  pleasanter  to  listen  to  the  tale  as 
it  had  been  told  one  of  my  shipmates  by  a  descendant  of 
Thursday  October  Christian  himself.  Numberless  whal- 
ing adventures,  fights  with  savages,  and  incidents  in  the 
strange  voyages  of  the  country  ships,  as  well  as  one  or 
two  experiences  of  life  on  the  cattle  and  sheep  farms — 
the  rel  ition  of  these  occupied  our  idle  time,  and  afforded 
me  many  pleasant  hours. 

I  was  the  youngest  seaman  on  board,  and  found  no 
difficulty  in  making  myself  a  favorite  among  my  older 
shipmates,  by  readiness  in  jumping  aloft  when  light  sails 
were  to  be  loosed  or  furled,  and  by  general  willingness  to 
do  the  duty  of  a  •*  light  hand."  Then,  too,  my  inexpe- 
rience in  the  changeful  life  they  had  lead,  made  them 
feel  a  flattering  superiority  to  me,  which,  as  it  was  not 
unpleasant,  I  did  not  seek  to  break  down.  And  the  con- 
sequence was,  that  I  was  always  called  for  when  any 
yarning  was  going  on  ;  and  often,  when  my  trick  at  the 
wheel  would  occur  just  as  some  one  was  in  the  midst  of 


192  THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

an  interesting  story,  one  of  the  older  hands  would  bid  me 
sit  still,  while  he  steered  my  trick  for  me. 

I  said  one  day  that  if  I  ever  got  back  to  Sydney  I 
would  make  a  voyage  in  a  sandal  wood  hunter. 

"  Here's  Long  Tom,  Charley,"  said  one  in  answer, 
*'  he's  been  in  those  craft  for  the  last  two  years.  You 
had  better  get  him  to  take  you  in  tow.  He  can  pick 
you  out  the  very  boat  for  a  good  voyage." 

"  Tom  promised  us  a  yarn  about  his  last  trip,"  re- 
marked one  of  the  others. 

''  Come,  a  yarn,  a  yarn,  boys,"  sung  out  another,  and 
at  the  word  we  gathered  upon  the  forecastle,  with  our 
pea-jackets,  and  arranged  ourselves  in  comfortable  posi- 
tions to  listen  to  the  yarn. 

''  Who  has  the  next  helm  ?" 

"J  do,"  answered  one  of  the  starboard  watch. 

"  Then  do  you  stow  yourselves  outside,  so  that  you 
won't  disturb  any  one  when  you  get  up  to  go  aft." 

This  being  done,  and  all  hands  being  arranged  in 
various  positions  about  Long  Tom,  a  lank,  but  by  no 
means  slender  six  footer,  he,  after  a  little  coquetting, 
declaring  the  yarn  not  worth  relating,  etc.,  finally  bit  off 
the  customary  quantity  of  pig  tail,  and  clearing  his 
throat,  began  as  follows: 

**  You  know,  shipmates,  or  most  of  you  do,  that  on 
board  of  those  craft  that  go  out  upon  the  look  for  sandal . 
wood  and  tortoise  shell,  the  crew  are  not  shipped  at  set 
wages,  so  much  a  month  and  small  stores,  but  go  upon 
a  regular  lay,  like  whalemen ;  only,  my  word,  it's  a  better 
and  more  paying  lay  than  any  whaling  that  I  ever  saw. 


K  THE     MERCHANT     VESSEL.  193 

The  Eliza  Jane — she  was  named  after  the  skipper's 
wife — was  a  pretty  little  colonial  built  craft,  brigantine 
rigged,  steering  and  working  easily,  and  sailing  much 
better  than  the  generality  of  colony  built  vessels. 

''  We  carried  a  stout  crew,  for  so  small  a  craft,  twelve 
men  before  the  mast,  captain,  two  mates,  cook,  and  stew- 
ard. We  could  man  two  whale  boats,  which  hung  at 
davits  upon  the  quarters,  and  yet  leave  on  board  as  many 
men  to  keep  ship,  as  could  have  worked  her  any  where 
she  could  go.  We  shipped  upon  a  lay  of  one  ninety- 
ninth.  That  is  to  say,  one  pound  sterling  out  of  every 
ninety-nine  of  the  proceeds  of  the  cargo  was  each  man's 
share.  This  was  a  lay  which  gave  us  promise  of  a  good 
voyage,  and  we  sailed  from  Sydney  in  high  spirits. 

"  We  were  all  old  shipmates,  and  a  better  crew  I'li 
venture  to  say  never  sailed  out  of  Port  Jackson  Bay  than 
that  of  the  Eliza  Jane.  All  of  us  had  been  whaling, 
which  the  skipper  made  a  necessary  condition  to  shipping 
a  man,  as  he  intended  to  visit  some  islands  which  he 
had  found  on  his  last  voyage  to  be  entirely  deserted, 
where  he  expected  to  pick  up  a  large  portion  of  his  cargo. 
He  had  the  name  of  being  a  smart  fellow  in  his  chosen 
business — for  he  had  never  followed  any  other — and  was 
well  known  for  the  many  narrow  escapes  he  had  had 
from  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  natives,  and  for  his 
readiness  to  venture  anywhere  and  everywhere,  where 
sandal  wood  and  tortoise  shell  were  to  be  found. 

''  We  expected  to  do  a  good  deal  of  boating.  This,  as 
it  is  generally  done  on  a  surf-bound  beach,  is  wet  work, 
but  after  all,  pleasanter  and  more  exciting  than  trading 
13 


194  THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

with  savages  througli  the  meshes  of  a  boarding  netting, 
and  keeping  an  armed  watch  day  and  night,  for  fear  of  a 
surprise.  Oar  trading  cargo  consisted  of  an  assortment 
of  old  and  new  spikes,  and  variously  sized  scraps  and 
pieces  of  iron,  scarlet  colored  cloth,  beads,  tobacco,  look- 
ing glasses,  trinkets  of  various  kinds,  knives,  hatchets, 
and  a  large  box  full  of  old  clothes,  probably  the  stock 
in  trade  of  some  second  hand  clothing  store  in  Sydney. 
We  had  the  forecastle  to  ourselves,  and  were  allowed  to 
take  out  a  small  private  venture  of  our  own,  with  per- 
mission to  stow  the  proceeds  in  our  bunks. 

''Our  course  was  shaped  for  the  islands  known  as  Solo- 
mon's Archipelago,  where  we  were  to  make  some  trade 
with  the  natives.  This  extensive  group  was  to  be  our 
principal  cruising  ground,  although  the  mate  told  us  that 
we  should  sail  over  toward  the  Louisiade  group,  should 
we  not  do  as  well  as  the  skipper  desired.  This  is  the 
great  cruising  ground  for  sandal  wood  hunters,  and  among 
these  islands,  they  not  unfrequently  meet  with  large 
C[uantities  of  the  precious  wood. 

"  Sandal  wood,  you  must  know  boys,  is  brought  off  by 
the  natives  in  sticks  of  various  shapes  and  sizes,  suffici- 
ently small  to  be  handily  stowed  in  the  hold.  They  are 
glad  to  take  in  exchange,  such  old  clothes,  trinkets,  and 
bits  of  iron  as  the  captain  lets  them  have.  Thus  for  a 
few  dollars  worth  of  trade  you  get  several  tons  of  wood, 
worth  in  Sydney  twenty-five  pounds  sterling  per  ton,  and 
in  China  about  fifty  pounds.  Turtle  shell  is  generally 
gathered  by  the  crew.  It  was  for  this  more  especially 
that  we  had  our  boats.     Considerable  quantities  of  the 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  195 

shell  are  washed  up  on  the  shores  of  the  islands  by  the 
swell,  and  there  it  is  picked  up.  It  is  but  seldom  that 
you  catch  a  live  turtle,  unless  you  happen  to  come  to  an 
island  frequented  by  them,  where  one  can  watch  for 
them,  when  they  come  up  on  shore  at  night  to  deposit 
their  eggs  in  the  sand. 

"  Our  first  harbor  for  trading  was  Joannette,  was  one  of 
the  Solomon  group.  Here  the  natives  were  reputed 
quite  wild,  and  we  took  every  precaution  to  preseive  our- 
selves from  an  attack.  No  sooner  were  our  sails  lo\vered 
than  we  triced  up  our  boarding  nettings,  and  loaded  our 
firearms,  the  watch  on  deck  being  appointed  to  keep  a 
constant  and  watchful  guard,  while  those  of  us  whose 
turn  it  was  below,  had  leisure  to  observe  the  natives 
launching  their  canoes  preparatory  to  coming  off. 

"  Soon  quite  a  fleet  of  boats,  some  containing  cocoa- 
nuts  and  other  fruits,  and  chickens,  parrots,  etc.,  were 
paddled  off  toward  us,  looking,  with  their  curious  out- 
riggers, like  enormous  lobsters  skimming  along  the  sur- 
face." 

**  How  are  their  outriggers  fixed,  Tom?" 

"  The  canoes  are  so  narrow,  that  they  would  very 
easily  capsize,  and  it  would  be  almost  impossible  even  for 
a  nati\e,  to  bring  one  safely  through  the  surf.  To 
remedy  this,  they  fasten  to  one  side  three  arms,  each  per- 
haps eight  or  ten  feet  long,  bow  shaped,  that  their  middle 
may  not  touch  the  water,  but  with  their  other  ends  lying 
on  the  surface.  These  outside  ends  are  united  by  a  fore 
and  aft  piece,  which  rests  on  and  skims  along  the  water. 
With  this  contrivance,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  turn  over 


196  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

a  canoe,  as  tlie  buoyancy  of  the  outrigger  prevents  it 
dipping  on  tliat  side,  and  its  weight  effectually  keeps  it 
from  capsizing  on  the  opposite.  With  a  good  outrigger, 
they  not  unfrequently  put  sail  on  a  little  canoe,  and 
dance  merrily  over  the  water,  the  strange  looking  arms 
now  lifted  high  up  in  the  air,  now  plunged  into  the  sea. 
But  let  the  outrigger  give  way,  which  sometimes  occurs, 
and  the  boat  is  almost  helpless,  and  John  Kanaka  takes 
the  water  for  it. 

*'  As  soon  as  the  natives  got  within  hearing,  the  skip- 
per, who  spoke  their  language,  warned  them  off,  giving 
permission  for  only  two  boats  to  come  alongside  at  a 
time,  and  threatening  to  fire  into  any  that  transgressed 
the  rule.  Two  chiefs,  in  large  canoes,  accordingly  sailed 
up  to  the  starboard  side,  where  was  a  small  entering- 
place,  and  making  fast  their  boats,  came  on  board,  with 
their  crews.  They  first  laid  at  the  captain's  feet  an 
offering  of  plantains,  cocoanuts,  chickens,  and  a  beautiful 
parrot,  and  then  informed  him  that  they  had  some  sandal 
wood  for  him,  on  shore,  if  he  wanted  it,  desiring  at  the 
same  time  to  know  what  he  had  to  trade. 

''  He  informed  them,  and  held  some  farther  conversa- 
tion with  them,  after  which,  they  came  forward  to  trade 
with  the  crew  for  some  fruit.  We  had  been  before 
warned  not  to  make  any  display  of  our  articles  of  trade, 
nor  to  make  any  liberal  offers  for  their  fruit,  as  it  is  con- 
sidered necessary  to  keep  up  the  value  of  bartering  goods. 
W^hile  the  chiefs  were  aft,  the  crew  had  been  looking 
about  the  vessel,  with  such  an  air  as  a  parcel  of  sailors 
would  be  likely  to  put  on,  were  they  set  on  board  a  ship 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  197 

in  whicli  everything  was  made  of  gold  and  precious 
stones.  In  fact,  to  these  people,  who  possess  not  even 
the  commonest  articles  found  on  board  ship,  and  who 
value  iron  as  we  do  gold,  a  vessel  must  appear  an  almost 
inexhaustible  mine  of  riches. 

"  Knowing  their  thieving  propensities,  we  had,  directly 
after  coming  to  anchor,  stowed  down  below  decks  every- 
thing removeable,  or  that  could  be  conveniently  carried 
off.  At  this  they  were  evidently  disappointed.  After 
vainly  looking  about  for  something  on  which  he  could  lay 
his  thieving  hands,  a  native  came  with  a  begging 
face,  forward,  and  asked  one  of  us  for  a  nail,  pointing  to 
one  which  was  sticking  in  an  old  board  forward  of  the 
windlass.  The  gift  of  a  small  wrought  nail  made  him  a 
rich  man,  for  he  danced  aft  to  his  companions  in  the 
greatest  glee,  and  we  soon  had  the  entire  crowd  (there 
were  six  of  them,)  begging  around  us  for  a  similar  favor. 
There  were  no  more  nails  forthcoming,  however. 

'*  In  their  anxiety  to  obtain  some  iron,  they  now  began 
to  entertain  an  idea  of  pulling  one  of  the  eyebolts  out  of 
the  deck.  Forming  a  ring  about  one  in  the  starboard 
gangway,  that  their  proceedings  might  not  be  observed 
by  the  crew,  two  of  the  stoutest  now  got  down  upon 
deck,  and  catching  hold  of  the  securely  fastened  bolt, 
did  their  best  to  pull  and  jerk  it  loose,  of  course  without 
effect  Nevertheless  they  tugged  away  manfully,  until 
the  niate  stepped  toward  them,  when  they  immediately 
walked  off,  apparently  much  disappointed.  Had  any 
article  of  iron  been  lying  about  within  reach,  they  would 
have  spared  no  ingenuity  or  labor  to  make  off  with  it. 


198  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

**  The  next  morning  was  appointed  to  begin  the  trade. 
Our  visitors  shortly  took  leave,  and  were  succeeded  by 
others,  who  in  turn,  after  gazing  around  the  vessel,  and 
seeing  nothing  to  steal,  made  room  for  their  companions. 
We  had  a  succession  of  canoes  along  side  till  sunset, 
when  all  the  boats  were  ordered  away,  and  instructions 
given  to  fire  into  the  first  canoe  that  came  within  gun- 
shot. 

"  Next  morning  began  the  busy  trade.  Already,  be- 
fore breakfast,  a  number  of  canoes  were  launched  from 
shore  and  forced  through  the  surf,  coming  to  us  laden 
with  rough-looking  sticks  of  sandal -wood  af  various 
shapes  and  sizes.  As  on  the  previous  day,  only  two  boats 
were  allowed  along  side  at  once,  and  only  one  was  traded 
with  at  a  time. 

"  Early  in  the  morning,  the  captain  had  overhauled 
his  chest  of  old  clothes  in  the  hold,  to  familiarize  him- 
self with  its  contents,  and  he  now  stood  at  the  gangway, 
where  the  wood  was  passed  in,  to  judge  of  its  value,  and 
make  such  ofi*ers  as  he  chose  for  it.  For  an  old  regi- 
mental coat  of  red  cloth,  with  a  little  tarnished  gold 
lace  upon  it,  he  got  sandal  wood  which  afterward  brought 
him  in  at  least  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  So,  too, 
knives,  small  mirrors,  spike  nails,  tobacco,  and  numerous 
articles  of  old  clothes,  were  disposed  of  on  equally  ad- 
vantageous terms.  Each  Kanaka,  when  his  trade  was 
finished,  was  sent  away,  to  make  room  for  more,  until  by 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  had  our  entire  deck  and 
portion  of  the  hold  filled  with  the  curiously  twisted 
sticks  of  wood,  which  it  was  necessary  to  stow  down 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  199 

before  we  could  trade  more.  A  stranger  to  the  business 
would  have  said  that  we  had  quite  sufficient  to  load  the 
vessel,  yet  under  tbe  careful  hands  of  our  experienced 
mate,  it  was  so  snugly  stowed  that  it  occupied  but  a  small 
space  in  the  hold. 

By  the  following  noon  we  had  gotten  all  their  wood, 
while  the  natives  could  be  seen  stalking  about,  or  squat- 
ting in  their  boats,  arrayed  in  the  articles  which  they 
had  obtained  from  us.  As  they  adorned  themselves  with 
the  various  coats,  vests,  and  trowsers,  some  of  them  pre- 
sented most  comical  figures.  One  had  nothing  on  but  a 
bright  red  military  coat,  while  the  only  garment  of 
others  was  an  old  vest.  Some  had  hung  looking 
glasses  about  their  necks,  while  many  of  the  females, 
vain  creatures,  had  run  nails  and  other  bits  of  iron 
through  the  large  holes  in  their  ears,  and  in  some  in- 
stances even  in  their  noses.  All  seemed  highly  delighted 
at  the  change  in  their  appearance. 

'*  We  took  our  departure  amid  many  regrets  of  the 
natives,  who  were  loath  to  see  such  a  prize  go  away  from 
their  shores.  Our  next  two  or  three  stopping  places 
were  some  deserted  islets  in  the  same  group,  with  which 
our  captain  was  familiar  from  previous  visits.  There  we 
went  ashore  in  our  whale  boats,  and  searched  about  the 
beach  for  turtle  shell.  Sometimes  we  found  quite  a 
quantity ;  at  others,  half  a  day's  diligent  search  would 
not  be  repaid  by  a  single  piece  of  shell.  The  entire 
beach  was  strewed  thickly  with  the  center  bones  of  the 
rock  squid  or  cuttle  fish,  which  must  have  existed  here 


200  THE    MERCHANT     VESSEL. 

in  great  numbers.  The  white,  porous  oblong  bones  fairly 
covered  the  beach,  in  spots. 

''  On  one  of  the  deserted  islets  we  met  with  quite  a 
prize,  in  the  shape  of  a  lump  of  Ambergris.  It  was  a 
yellow,  tolerably  solid  substance,  bearing,  I  thought, 
some  resemblance  to  an  old  honeycomb.  The  mass  we  found 
weighed,  I  believe,  three  pounds.  It  was  carefully  put 
away  by  the  captain,  to  be  sold  when  we  got  to  Sydney. 

''  Thus  alternately  trading  and  looking  about  ourselves, 
we  at  length  filled  our  vessel,  and  set  sail  on  our  return 
to  Sydney." 

*'  How  did  the  natives  look,  with  whom  you  traded  ?  ** 
I  asked. 

''  There  were  various  tribes,  and  1  suppose  races  of 
them.  Some  were  dark  brown,  with  long,  glossy,  black 
hair,  and  the  usual  Kanaka  features.  Others  were  short 
in  stature,  nearly  black,  with  curling  hair,  and  negro  fea- 
tures. These  last  were  much  the  most  savage,  and  we 
could  do  but  little  with  them  in  the  way  of  trade. 

''  On  most  of  the  islands  we  saw  cocoanut  trees ;  at 
some  the  natives  brought  off  bananas,  and  some  few 
other  fruits.  They  appear  also  to  raise  chickens  and 
hogs.  Of  birds  there  seemed  to  be  an  abundance  where- 
ever  we  touched,  and  on  them  the  ruder  natives  probably 
subsist.  The  men  all  walked  about  in  a  state  of  nudity ; 
the  women  wore  the  tapa,  or  waist  cloth,  made  of  the 
fiber  of  the  cocoanut  tree,  I  suppose.  They  are  a  semi- 
amphibious  people,  as  are  all  the  natives  of  the  South 
Sea  Islands,  appearing  to  be  nearly  as  much  at  home  in 
the  water  as  on  dry  land.     Their  principal  arms  were 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  201 

huge  clubs,  the  heads  of  which  were  studded  with  sharp 
pieces  of  shell. 

"  On  arriving  at  Sydney,  we  disposed  of  a  portion  of 
our  sandal  wood,  and  with  the  rest  the  vessel  sailed  for 
China.  Previously  to  this,  however,  the  crew  were  paid 
off.  We  were  gone  four  months  on  our  voyage.  Our 
pay  amounted  to  the  snug  sum  of  forty  pounds  sterling, 
(nearly  two  hundred  dollars,)  each.  This  was  considered 
quite  an  extra  voyage. 

*'  In  China,  the  sandal  wood  probably  brought  our  cap- 
tain double  the  price  he  would  have  obtained  for  it  at 
Sydney,  and  thus  he  and  the  owners  must  have  made  a 
remunerative  voyage." 

The  Chinese  use  the  sandal  wood  in  the  manufacture 
of  fans  and  other  ornamental  articles,  and  value  it  highly. 
In  fact,  sandal  wood  and  shark's  fins  are  at  this  day  two 
valuable  articles  of  export  from  British  India  to  various 
parts  of  China. 

We  passed  safely  through  Torres'  Straits,  and  in 
thirty-five  days  from  Sydney  reached  Lombok,  or  rather 
the  port  of  Ampanam,  on  the  western  coast  of  the 
island.  Lombok  is  a  small  but  fertile  island  of  the  Ma- 
lay Archipelago.  It  lies  between  the  isles  of  Bali,  or 
Bally,  and  Sumbawa,  separated  from  each  by  a  narrow 
strait.  Next  west  of  Bally  is  the  island  of  Java. 
Lombok  itself  is  thickly  inhabited.  The  people  till  the 
land,  and  export  great  quantities  of  rice,  which  is  the 
principal  product  of  the  soil.  It  is  said  that  not  less 
than  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  thousand  tons  of  this 


202  THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

grain  are  exported  yearly  to  various  parts  of  the  Indies, 
much  of  it  going  to  China. 

The  island  is  intersected  by  a  mountainous  ridge,  and 
on  the  north  coast  is  an  active  volcano,  having  a  peak 
which  can  be  seen  for  many  miles  at  sea.  This  was  the 
first  active  volcano  I  had  ever  seen,  and  I  watched  the 
thin  smoke  ever  and  anon  curling  above  its  top,  with 
much  curiosity,  almost  wishing  that  an  eruption  might 
take  place  while  we  were  there ;  although  such  an  event 
would  doubtless  have  overwhelmed  many  families  in 
ruins. 

The  harbor  of  Ampanam  is  small,  but  has  a  good  an- 
chorage. As  this  was  the  first  Malay  place  at  which  I  had 
ever  been  ashore,  I  saw  much  to  amuse  me.  The  people 
live  in  long  houses  constructed  of  bamboo,  and  perched 
upon  high  posts,  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  from  the  ground. 
Several  families  generally  reside  in  one  dwelling,  their 
stock  of  chickens  and  hogs  abiding  on  the  ground  beneath, 
possibly  acting  as  scavengers  to  remove  the  refuse  of  the 
houses  above.  The  dwellings  are  entered  by  means  of 
ladders,  and  when  these  are  hauled  up  all  communication 
from  without  is  shut  off.  The  groves  of  cocoanuts  and 
palms  among  which  these  houses  stood  made  a  beautiful 
shade  for  them,  while  bananas,  pomegranates,  shaddocks, 
mangosteens,  and  other  fruits  seemed  to  grow  almost 
spontaneously,  in  every  cleared  spot. 

The  groves  were  filled  with  birds  of  beautiful  plum- 
age, though  it  must  be  owned,  many  of  them  of  discord- 
ant voices.  These  gave  to  the  woods  an  appearance  of 
life  and  bustle,  which  was  as  strange  as  pleasant.     Here 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 


203 


and  there  could  be  seen  a  monkey  or  a  marmoset,  leap- 
ing from  branch  to  branch  among  the  luxuriant  foliage, 
or  swinging  by  his  tail,  and  giving  vent  to  a  shrill  screech 
which  would  startle  the  other  inhabitants  of  the  groves. 


Natives  of  Lombok. 

We  took  great  pleasure  in  rambling  through  these 
groves,  on  the  two  Sundays  which  we  spent  ashore  here. 
The  people,  although  not  disposed  to  hold  any  more  com- 
munication with  us  than  was  actually  necessary,  were 
kind  and  attentive.  Fruits  and  provisions  were  remark- 
ably cheap.  We  purchased  twenty-five  large  fowls  for 
a  dollar.  Cocoanuts  and  bananas  were  to  be  had  almost 
for  the  asking,  and  other  fruits  cost  but  very  little  more. 
I  her.e  purchased  a  monkey,  as  I  wanted  something  with 


204  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

which  to  amuse  myself  when  we  once  more  got  to  sea. 
He  was  a  wild  little  fellow,  and  I  got  him  a  chain,  with 
which  to  keep  him  fast  while  lying  in  port,  that  he  might 
not  slip  off  into  some  of  the  shore  boats  frecj[ucntly  along- 
side. His  monkeyship  only  cost  half  a  rupee  (twenty- 
five  cents) ,  while  parrots  could  be  bought  for  from  ten 
cents  to  half  a  dollar.  Of  course,  these  birds  were 
freshly  caught,  and  could  not  talk.  Parrots  which  have 
learned  to  talk  Malay  or  Arabic  are  highly  valued,  and 
are  not  sold  under  twenty-five  or  thirty  dollars. 

Besides  the  natives  of  the  islands,  who  are  Malays, 
and  of  course  partly  Mohammedans,  a  portion  of  the 
residents  are  Chinese.  These  filled  here  the  line  of  busi- 
ness which  I  have  noticed  they  generally  take  to  when 
away  from  their  homes.  They  are  the  small  merchants 
of  a  place,  and  their  shops  answer  to  the  "  corner  gro- 
ceries" in  the  United  States.  Meet  them  where  you 
will,  away  from  their  home,  and  you  will  find  the  Chi- 
nese to  be  smart,  thriving,  and  industrious  people,  living 
frugally  and  keeping  an  eye  to  the  main  chance  in  busi- 
ness matters.  Some  of  the  Chinese  who  live  in  Lombok 
are  reputed  to  be  very  wealthy  ;  but  most  of  them,  when 
they  acquire  a  competency,  return  to  their  native  places, 
to  settle  down.  They  do  not  even  intermarry  with  the 
natives,  but  import  their  wives  from  the  Celestial 
Empire,  or  remain  single  until  they  return  home. 

The  Chinaman  dresses  alike  all  the  world  over.  His 
thick-soled,  clumsy  shoes,  petticoat  trowsers,  slouchy 
jacket,  and  little  round  cap,  reach  from  India  to  Ameri- 
ca, from  Shanghai  to  Sydney.     The  Malay  natives  dress 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 


205 


variously,  according  to  rank  or  means.     The  wealthier 
wear  tunics  of  fine  material,  woven  in  bright  figures. 

The  men  are  distin- 
guishable by  the  long 
creese,  and  a  short 
dagger,  stuck  in  their 
belt.  These  arms  are, 
however,  at  this  time, 
more  for  ornament  than 
use,  and  the  natives  of 
this  island  seemed  to 
be  a  very  harmless,  in- 
offensive people.  The 
males,  among  the  labor- 
ing classes,  wear  noth- 
ing but  a  waist-cloth 
and  turban,  while  the 
women  dress  themselves 
in  long  gowns,  and  not 
unfrequently  in  a  flow- 
ing robe,  formed  by  Malay  seaman. 
winding  a  bright-colored  cotton  shawl  loosely  and  grace- 
fully around  the  body. 

The  government  of  the  island  is  administered  by  a 
number  of  rajahs,  whose  jealousies  frequently  embroil 
their  subjects  in  quarrels  and  petty  wars.  These  quar- 
rels the  Dutch  on  the  neighboring  island  of  Java  have 
taken  advantage  of  at  various  times  to  introduce  their 
authority  as  arbitrators,  and  they  wield  at  this  time  a 
controlling  influence  in  the  government 


206  THE     MERCHANT     VESSEL. 

We  began  to  take  in  our  rice  as  soon  as  the  ballast 
was  sufficiently  leveled  and  dunnage  laid  on  which  to 
stow  it.  It  was  brought  alongside  by  the  natives  in 
large  boats,  and  hoisted  or  rather  tossed  in  on  board,  and 
stowed  in  the  hold,  by  the  crew.  It  was  pretty  severe 
labor  to  carry  the  sacks  of  rice  through  our  low  hold, 
and  stow  them  snugly  in  tiers  fore  and  aft.  The 
weather  was  oppressively  warm,  and  the  hold  was  like  an 
oven.  We  worked  from  daylight  till  dark — that  is  from 
six  to  six,  with  half  an  hour's  intermission  for  break- 
fast, and  an  hour  for  dinner.  We  had  a  stout  crew,  and 
therefore  the  work  went  cheerily  on,  and  in  less  than  two 
weeks  we  had  the  brig  filled  to  the  hatches  with  rice, 
and  were  ready  to  sail  for  China. 

While  we  lay  at  Ampanam,  or  Lombok  as  everybody 
persisted  in  calling  the  port,  a  large  country  ship  came 
m  to  the  anchorage,  to  obtain  some  provisions.  Our  cap- 
tain paid  her  a  visit,  and  I  was  luckily  one  of  the  boat's 
crew  who  took  him  on  board,  so  that  I  too  had  a  look  at 
;:he  stranger.  We  had  lain  at  but  a  short  distance  from 
a  large  country  wallah,  in  Madras,  but  I  had  never  had 
a  chance  to  board  her,  so  that  I  now  for  the  first  time 
stood  on  the  deck  of  one  of  these  singular  craft. 

She  was  a  ship  of  about  nine  hundred  tons,  and  would 
have  been  manned,  if  an  American,  by  about  sixteen  or 
seventeen  hands,  if  a  British  vessel,  by  perhaps  twenty- 
two.  But  her  Hindoo  or  Lascar  crew  numbered  not  less 
than  seventy.  'I'hese  had  placed  over  them  a  serang.  or 
boatswain,  and  three  boatswain's  mates,  whose  duty  it 
was  to  enforce  the  orders  of  the  captain  and  mates.  They 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  207 

used  calls  or  pipes,  precisely  like  that  used  by  the  boat 
swain  of  a  ship  of  war,  and  the  loud  '  belay"  which  was 
being  piped  just  as  we  clambered  up  the  side,  put  me 
much  in  mind  of  old  times. 

Besides  her  Lascar  crew,  whose  duty  it  is  to  make  and 
take  in  sail,  and  work  the  vessel  generally,  there  were 
six  sea-Connies,  white  men,  or  Europeaiis,  as  they  are 
called,  who  steered  the  vessel,  and  at  reefing  topsails 
took  the  earings.  These  lived  aft,  in  a  steerage,  while 
the  crew  lived  forward  in  a  large  forecastle.  Steering 
and  sailmaking  was  the  only  work  of  the  six  sea-connies, 
who,  I  thought,  must  have  fine  times. 

The  entire  rigging  of  the  ship  was  of  coir  rope,  in- 
stead of  hemp,  the  kind  most  generally  used.  It  was 
beautifully  fitted,  for  the  Lascars  are  excellent  sailors. 
Altogether,  the  vessel  looked  very  neat  and  clean,  and 
their  manner  of  coming  to  anchor  and  getting  under- 
wei;ih  proved  that  they  could  handle  her  in  a  creditable 
manner. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Leave  Lombok  —  The  Monkey  •—  The  Parrot  —  A  long  Calm- 
George  Grumbles  —  Cattle-tending  in  New  South  Wales  — 
Whampoa  —  Discharge  Cargo  —  Paid  off — Visit  Canton. 

Having  taken  in  our  cargo,  we  got  underweigh,  and 
proceeded  on  our  voyage  to  Whampoa,  where  we  were 
to  discharge  the  rice,  and  be  in  turn  ourselves  dis- 
charged. We  passed  through  the  little  strait  of  Bally, 
which  divides  Lombok  from  the  Island  of  Bally,  and 
thence  emerged  into  the  sea  which  separates  the  two 
larger  islands,  Java  and  Borneo.  This  was  real  summer 
sailing.  As  we  slowly  wound  our  way  past  the  land, 
which  loomed  up  in  the  hazy  distance,  I  called  to  mind 
the  last  time  I  had  sailed  through  these  waters,  and  was 
able  to  congratulate  myself  on  now  being  much  more 
pleasantly  situated,  although  a  strange  flag  was  flutter- 
ing above  my  head.  I  was  no  longer  cooped  up,  a  pris 
oner,  in  a  great  ship.  W^e  were  steering  China-ward,  I 
with  glorious  anticipations  of  what  I  should  see  in  that 
land  of  wonders. 

My  monkey  gave  me  much  pleasure  on  this  trip.     I 
had.  by  uniformly  kind   treatment,  in   a  great  degree 
(208) 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  209 

tamed  him  ere  we  were  many  days  out,  and  he  soon  began 
to  make  himself  quite  at  home  with  all  that  belonged  to 
me.  George  was  his  bitter  enemy.  He  had  strongly 
opposed  my  getting  him,  prophesying  that  his  mischievous 
habits  would  create  bad  feeling  in  the  forecastle,  and  that 
I  would  have  more  trouble  than  pleasure  in  keeping  him. 
He  could  not  bear  to  have  the  animal  about  him,  and  as 
the  monkey  and  I  eat  together,  George  took  his  pan  and 
pot  to  the  other  end  of  the  forecastle. 

For  my  part,  I  could  never  see  sufficient  of  Jocko's 
tricks,  and  delighted  in  making  him  swing  by  a  line  pen- 
dant from  the  forescuttle,  or  in  having  a  tussle  with  him 
on  the  deck.  But  he  was  treacherous  as  well  as  mischiev- 
ous, and  would  bite  on  the  slightest  provocation. 

In  the  dull  monotony  of  life  at  sea,  any  strange  object 
serves  to  give  an  agreeable  diversion  so  the  mind,  and  it 
is  not,  therefore,  to  be  wondered  at,  that  I  found  an  almost 
inexhaustible  stock  of  amusement  in  my  monkey.  His 
antics  could  always  raise  a  laugh,  even  among  my  silent 
shipmates,  and  he  was  indulged  by  them  in  many  little 
tricks,  which  I  at  first  feared  they  would  resent. 

Before  we  got  to  China,  he  and  I  got  to  be  on  excellent 
terms.  We  took  our  meals  on  the  same  chest — he  having 
his  allowance  in  a  little  pan,  but  occasionally  taking  a 
piece  from  mine.  His  tea  was  poured  out  for  him  in  a 
bowl,  and  in  this  he  put  bread  to  soak — a  fashion  learned 
from  some  of  our  crew.  Any  deficiencies  in  his  victuals 
were  strongly  resented,  and  once,  when  he  had  scalded  his 
fingers  in  the  hot  tea,  he  leaped  upon  me  like  a  tiger,  and 
bit  me  severely  in  the  neck. 
14 


210  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

Of  course,  such  a  companion  was  calculated  to  make  a 
tedious  passage  pass  much  more  pleasantly,  and  all  of  our 
crew,  except  George,  grew  very  fond  of  the  little  creature, 
whose  sprightly  disposition  was  every  day  breaking  out  in 
some  new  trick. 

Of  the  parrot  a  much  less  favorable  account  must  be 
given.  He  was  a  large  green  bird,  one  of  the  speaking 
kind,  we  had  been  assured  by  the  Malay  who  sold  him  to 
us.  His  tongue,  or  rather  the  little  slender  cord  beneath 
it,  had  been  cut  by  his  Malay  owner,  before  he  came  into 
our  possession — as  this  was  considered  necessary  in  order 
to  enable  him  to  talk.  He  was  placed  in  the  darkest  part 
of  the  forecastle,  chock  forward,  on  one  of  the  breast- 
hooks,  and  there  secured.  Here  his  food  was  brought  to 
him  daily — he  who  fed  him  pronouncing  to  him  the  words, 
"Pretty  Polly."  In  a  very  few  weeks  we  began  to  hear 
faint  mutter ings  from  the  dark  corner,  and  one  morning, 
at  the  end  of  about  the  seventh  week,  were  surprised  to 
hear  from  Polly's  beak,  the  words  "  Polly,  pretty  Polly," 
spoken  very  plainly.  The  parrot  now  learned  rapidly,  and 
as  we  were  going  up  Canton  river,  could  talk  tolerably 
fluently.  But  he  had  gotten  to  be  a  terrible  reprobate, 
and  delighted  in  nothing  so  much  as  swearing.  He  was, 
therefore,  a  nuisance  even  to  the  most  profane  of  the  crew, 
for  no  one  of  them  desired  to  hear  a  stupid  bird  mocking 
him.  At  Whampoa  he  was  sold  to  some  American  sailors, 
and  on  parting  from  my  shipmates  there,  I  left  them  the 
monkey  as  a  keepsake. 

Our  passage  to  China  was  a  tedious  one.  We  were 
detained  by  calms  in  the  waters  bounded  by  Java  and 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  211 

Sumatra  on  one  side,  and  Borneo  on  the  other,  and  it  took 
us  nearly  sixty  days  to  reach  the  mouth  of  Canton  Bay. 
It  might  he  supposed  that,  as  we  had  a  good  little  vessel, 
and  were  in  other  respects  as  happily  situated  as  sailors 
could  expect  to  be,  we  would  not  have  cared  how  long  the 
passage  lasted. 

But,  singularly  enough,  the  exa<jt  reverse  is  invariably 
the  sentiment  of  the  forecastle.  Let  the  vessel  and  officers 
be  as  unexceptionable  as  they  may.  Jack  always  wishes 
for  a  short  passage.  It  is  not  that  he  wants  to  get  ashore 
to  spend  his  money.  It  is  not,  either,  that  he  finds  more 
pleasure  in  lying  in  port.  On  the  contrary,  he  is  almost 
sure  then  to  have  much  harder  work  than  at  sea.  But 
the  sailor  seems  to  be  possessed  of  a  restless  spirit,  a  very 
demon  of  inquietude,  who  gives  him  no  peace  except  in 
motion.  He  feels  contented  nowhere.  When  on  shore, 
he  sighs  for  the  ocean.  Xo  sooner  is  he  there,  than  he  as 
ardently  wishes  himself  back  to  port.  The  old  saying, 
*'  More  days,  more  dollars,"  is  oftener  spoken  in  derision 
than  in  earnest,  and  is  only  taken  as  a  comforter  in  the 
last  extremity,  when  all  progress  is  barred  by  calms  or 
head-winds,  and  a  lengthened  passage  seems  an  unavoid- 
able fate. 

Thus  our  fellows,  though  they  had  every  reason  to  be 
contented,  were  looking  and  whistling  as  anxiously  for  a 
breeze,  as  though  their  fortunes  depended  upon  a  speedy 
passage.  I  say  our  fellows — but  I  must  own  that  I  was 
no  less  impatient  than  the  rest.  There  was  no  lack  of 
books,  nor  of  what  was  just  then  of  more  interest  to  me, 
yams.     But  the  general  unrest  had  also  possession  of  me. 


212  THE    MERCHANT   VESSEL. 

and  I  was  as  eagerly  wishing  for  the  expected  breeze  as 
any  one. 

A  calm  at  sea  is,  under  any  circumstances,  a  very 
tedious  business.  The  smooth  water,  the  sails  drooping 
listlessly  against  the  mast,  the  awkward  roll  of  the  ves- 
sel, all  betoken  a  breaking  up  of  the  usual  routine  of 
sea-life.  A  feeling  as  though  you  were  no  longer  at 
home,  seems  to  creep  over  every  one.  The  watch  below 
no  longer  sleep,  nor  sew,  nor  read.  Their  enjoyment  of 
these  usual  time-killers  seems  to  have  flown  with  the 
breeze,  and  they  wander  listlessly  about  the  deck,  calling 
upon  all  the  patron  saints  of  wind  and  weather  to  extri- 
cate them  from  this  overpowering  monotony.  All  steady 
occupation  of  mind  or  body  seems  to  become  oppressive ; 
and  the  sound  of  eight  bells,  which  sends  them  on  deck, 
is  hailed  with  joy,  as,  at  any  rate  a  change. 

As  for  the  watch  on  deck,  they  generally  find  enough  to 
do  in  a  calm.  This  is  an  opportunity,  never  lost,  to  set 
up  rigging,  put  on  new  seizings  and  lashings  where  they 
may  be  needed,  and  for  attending  to  all  such  work  as  is  not 
to  be  done  when  the  ship  has  headway  on  her,  and  her 
rigging  and  spars  are  strained  by  the  breeze.  Under  the 
oppressing  influences  of  the  calm,  with  the  sun's  rays 
pouring  down  intense  heat,  melting  the  tar  ofl*  the  ropes, 
and  making  the  decks  almost  too  hot  to  stand  upon,  this 
labor  comes  doubly  heavy.  If  for  no  other  reason,  there- 
fore, than  to  escape  such  work,  a  calm  is  an  event  much  to 
be  deprecated  by  sailors. 

Our  long  calm  brought  to  every  one's  recollection  some 
similar  circumstance  in  his  previous  experience,  and  we 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  213 

entertained  each  other,  in  the  dog-watches,  with  tough 
yams  of  vessels  that  had  lain  on  the  line  almost  till  they 
had  rotted — till  the  sails  were  dropping  from  the  yards, 
and  the  grass  had  grown  yards  long  upon  the  bottom  of 
the  vessel. 

As  for  my  grumbling  chum,  the  spirit  of  prophecy  was 
upon  him  again,  and  he  foretold,  with  a  kind  of  savage 
satisfaction,  that  we  were  doomed  to  remain  in  that  spot, 
I  am  almost  afraid  to  say  how  long,  but  at  any  rate  until 
we  should  have  eaten  up  our  provisions,  and  then  be 
obliged  to  take  to  our  boats  and  make  the  best  of  our  way 
to  Singapore.  He  rolled  about  in  his  berth,  making  grave 
calculations  as  to  how  many  days'  water  we  had  yet  on 
board,  and  how  long  our  bread  could  be  made  to  last,  and 
had  all  arranged  in  his  mind  as  to  the  course  to  be  steered 
for  the  nearest  land,  when  we  should  abandon  the  vessel, 
a  consummation  which  he  appeared  to  regard  as  a  settled 
fact.  Indeed,  so  strongly  had  he  persuaded  himself  that 
this  would  be  our  fate,  that  I  thought  it  was  with  a  shade 
of  disappointment  he  at  last  witnessed  the  approach  of  a 
breeze. 

With  one  exception,  I  was,  I  think,  the  most  patient 
individual  in  the  forecastle.  This  was  a  quiet  old  tar, 
who  had  served  an  apprenticeship  of  two  years  to  ennui, 
on  a  sheep  and  cattle  station  in  the  wilds  of  New  South 
Wales.  He  had  got  to  be  resigned  to  almost  anything, 
and  I  am  sure  that  no  calm  could  overset  his  equanimity 
of  temper.  As  he  himself  expressed,  "  it  was  happy-go- 
lucky  with  him."  Two  years  of  the  desperate  loneliness 
and  sameness  of  a  hut-tender's  life  had  so  broken  his 


214  THE    MEKCHANT    VESSEL. 

spirit  as  to  make  him  simply  a  listless  looker-on  in  life. 
**  He  no  longer  lives,  he  only  stays/'  said  one  of  our  fel- 
lows of  him  one  day. 

He  was  our  quiet  man,  par  excellence.  Eor  days  he 
would  say  nothing  to  any  one,  but  wander  up  and  down, 
in  a  half-dreamy  state.  Not  only  did  he  not  talk  himself, 
hut  he  eluded  all  attempts  on  our  part  to  talk  to  him,  and 
when  addressed,  would  look  up  with  a  surprised  stare,  as 
though  just  awakened  out  of  a  dream.  He  lived  in  a 
world  of  his  own.  When  lying  in  his  berth,  he  would 
hold  long  conversations  with  himself,  in  which,  from  the 
little  we  could  occasionally  gather,  many  characters 
appeared  upon  the  scene  which  his  imagination  had  laid 
out,  and  not  a  few  abstruse  metaphysical  problems  were 
discussed  ;  for  he  was  not  by  any  means  an  unintelligent 
man.  He  had  read  a  good  deal  during  his  long  stay  in 
the  woods,  and  was  evidently  but  now  digesting  portions 
of  his  past  reading. 

He  was  an  excellent  seaman,  thorough  in  all  that  be- 
longed to  his  profession.  But  such  an  influence  had  his 
taciturnity  upon  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact,  that 
even  the  mates  only  spoke  to  him  when  it  was  unavoida- 
ble, and  many  times  when  dividing  out  the  work  to  the 
watch,  the  chief  mate  would  put  a  marlin-spike  or  handy- 
billy-tackle  into  old  Bill's  hands,  and  silently  point  out 
the  work  he  desired  him  to  go  to,  instead  of  telling  him 
what  it  was  he  wished  done. 

He  and  I  were  watchmates.  I  left  no  means  untried 
to  get  out  of  him  some  information  concerning  the  life  he 
had  led  upon  the  cattle  station,  but  I  found  it  hard  work. 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  216 

At  last  I  struck  the  right  key.  A  somewhat  out  of  the 
way  quotation  from  Shakspeare,  in  conversation  with 
another,  caused  him  to  look  up  with  a  pleased  sparkle  in 
his  eye,  which  I  had  not  before  seen.  This  afforded  me 
a  little  insight  into  his  peculiarities,  which  I  failed  not 
to  take  advantage  of.  I  talked  hoohs  to  him,  and  here  I 
found  w^as  his  one  vulnerable  point.  I  loaned  him  a  pet 
copy  of  Goldsmith,  which  I  usually  kept  at  the  bottom 
of  my  chest,  not  for  general  circulation,  and  this  gained 
his  heart.  By  degrees  he  became  more  communicative, 
and  I  was  greatly  astonished  at  the  mass  of  general  in- 
formation hoarded  up  in  that  dreamy  brain  of  his. 
Having  him  once  in  the  vein,  I  pestered  him  with  ques- 
tions until  I  managed  to  get  from  him  some  of  the  details 
of  his  bush  life.  All  my  efforts  failed  in  getting  him  to 
give  me  any  connected  account  of  the  mode  of  life  which 
he  had  there  led ;  but  bit  by  bit,  I  obtained  the  infor- 
mation which  I  will  here  give. 

Three  men  stay  together  on  one  part  of  the  station. 
These  are,  a  hut- tender  and  two  cattle -tenders.  The  hut- 
tender,  who  cooks  for  himself  and  his  mates,  and  per- 
haps washes  for  them,  if  they  ever  find  it  desirable  to 
put  on  a  clean  shirt,  is  generally  a  green  hand  in  the 
woods — a  new  Chum  he  is  called  in  Colonial  lingo.  He 
receives  from  sixteen  to  eighteen  pounds  sterling  (eighty 
to  ninety  dollars),  per  annum,  with  his  rations  of  tea, 
sugar  and  flour. 

It  is  his  duty  to  remain  at  the  hut,  while  his  confreres 
are  off  with  the  cattle.  Here  he  stays,  sometimes  for 
days  without  seeing  a  soul,  when  the  others  are  away  in 


216  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

search  of  a  lost  herd,  or  bringing  a  drove  back  to  the 
pastures.  Day  in,  day  out,  he  sees  naught  but  the 
dreary  plain  undisturbed  by  aught  of  life,  except  an  oc- 
casional bird,  or  a  wapiti,  or  kangaroo.  It  is  easy  to 
imagine  how  in  this  lonely  state  it  after  a  while  ceases 
to  be  natural  to  speak,  and  a  dreamy  silence  becomes  the 
habit  of  the  man. 

Sometimes  the  hut-keeper  has  a  gun,  and  occasion- 
ally shoots  a  little  game.  But  even  this  is  scarcely  suffi- 
cient excitement  to  relieve  the  dreariness  of  the  life- 
Besides,  it  is  necessary  to  remain  near  the  hut,  in  order 
to  keep  safe  watch  and  ward  over  the  supplies  there  de- 
posited, and  to  be  in  readiness  to  wait  upon  the  horsemen 
when  they  come  in  with  their  flocks. 

After  having  served  at  this  branch  of  the  business  a 
year  or  two,  the  hut-keeper  is  supposed  to  have  sufficient 
experience  to  warrant  his  advancement  to  the  post  of  cat- 
tle-tender. He  is  now  supplied  with  a  horse,  or  perhaps 
two,  that  he  may  be  able  to  change  animals  in  his  long 
rides.  His  salary  is  increased  to  from  twenty-two  to 
twenty-five  pounds,  and  he  assumes,  with  a  comrade,  the 
responsibility  of  taking  care  of  and  leading  about,  a 
flock  of  one  thousand  sheep,  or  six  hundred  or  seven  hun- 
dred cattle. 

He  must  now  have  some  knowledge  of  the  woods,  and 
be  able  to  return  to  his  hut  after  riding  hard,  perhaps  in 
a  dozen  directions,  for  two  or  three  days.  He  rides 
about  the  country,  rain  or  shine,  with  his  charge  of 
stock;  he  sleeps  near  them  at  night,  upon  a  blanket 
spread  upon  the  bare  ground,  his  saddle  for  a  pillow,  and 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  217 

his  horse  fastened  to  a  stake  driven  into  the  ground. 
He  must  sleep  lightly,  in  order  that  no  movement  in  the 
herd  or  flock  may  escape  him.  And  if,  perchance,  after 
bringing  the  stock  safely  to  at  night,  he  ventures  to  drop 
into  a  sound  slumber,  he  is  likely  to  awaken  at  daylight 
with  not  a  single  head  in  sight,  and  find  himself  obliged 
to  hunt  for  days  before  he  recovers  his  charge. 

In  the  rainy  season  he  plashes  on  through  mud  reach- 
ing up  to  the  saddle  girths,  with  the  rain  pouring  down 
in  torrents.  Often  when  sundown  overtakes  him  in  the 
vast  plain,  during  such  a  rain,  he  must  sit  in  his  saddle 
the  entire  night,  while  the  torrent  is  beating  against  his 
body,  and  he  becomes  chilled  through,  and  faint  and 
weary. 

This  is  cattle-tending.  For  one  month  in  the  year  the 
poor  souls  were  allowed  to  leave  the  station  (taking  turns) 
and  go  down  to  some  of  the  outposts  of  colonial  civiliza- 
tion, there  to  recruit  their  energies  by  the  absorption  of 
unlimited  quantities  of  liquor,  and  a  general  spree.  But 
Bill  said  that  many  of  them  got  so  used  to  the  life  on 
the  plains  as  not  even  to  desire  this  annual  jollification. 
They  remained  in  quiet  stupor  at  their  huts,  or  followed 
their  stock.  Some,  he  said,  had  supplies  of  books  at  the 
huts.  But  they  had  not  room  for  many,  and  the  few 
were  read  and  re-read,  until  almost  learned  by  heart. 

Take  it  altogether,  I  was  no  longer  surprised  that  one 
who  had  passed  two  or  three  years  of  such  a  life  should 
be  almost  speechless.  It  was  only  a  cause  for  wonder 
that   the  few  ideas  with  which  he    entered  upon  his 


218  THE    MEKCHANT    VESSEL. 

hermit  life  had  not  entirely  died  out,  and  left  him  in-  a 
state  of  irredeemable  stupidity. 

The  breeze  so  long  waited  for  came  at  last,  and  we 
gladly  squared  the  yards,  and  set  the  studdingsails  to  ex- 
pedite the  vessel  on  her  way.  Our  passage  to  Whampoa 
was  a  long  one,  lasting  nearly  sixty  days.  Luckily,  we 
had  an  abundant  supply  of  water  and  provisions,  else 
we  should  have  been  compelled  to  use  the  first  fair  wind 
to  make  a  port  in  order  to  refit. 

We  were  favored  with  a  fine  breeze  across  the  China 
Sea,  and  that  portion  of  the  trip  was  passed  pleasantly 
enough.  After  the  usual  bending  cables,  and  getting 
anchors  off  the  bows,  preparatory  to  running  into  port, 
was  completed,  we  made  the  land,  and  were  shortly 
boarded  by  a  Chinese  pilot,  who  took  us  up  to  the  anch- 
orage at  Whampoa.  Here  we  immediately  commenced 
discharging  our  cargo  of  rice  into  large  Chinese  boats, 
which  took  it  on.  shore. 

One  week  sufficed  for  this,  and  then  George  and  I 
were  free — our  agreement  on  shipping  having  been  that 
we  should  be  discharged  here.  We  found  that  wages 
were  not  so  high  here  as  they  had  been  at  Sydney,  for 
which  reason  the  captain  was  quite  willing  to  let  us  go, 
being  able  to  fill  our  places  at  a  saving  to  himself. 

As  neither  of  us  possessed  English  register  tickets, 
there  were  no  formalities  to  be  gone  through,  but  we  sim- 
ply took  our  money  and  a  written  recommendation,  and 
went  on  shore.  As  there  are  but  poor  accommodations  at 
Whampoa  for  sailors,  we  left  our  chest  and  other  effects 
aboard  the  brig  until  we  should  ship  in  some  other  vessel. 


THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL. 


219 


thus  "being  able  to  take  a  careless  cruise  about  the  town, 
and  up  to  Canton,  without  being  at  the  trouble  of  looking 
constantly  after  our  effects. 

From  the  anchorage  below  Whampoa  to  Canton  is 
called  sixteen  miles.  From  the  same  place  to  the  Bogue 
it  is  forty.  On  either  side  of  the  usual  anchorage  are 
rice  fields,  with  here  and  there,  in  the  distance,  a  Joss- 
house  or  Pagoda. 


BlVEB    SOBKE    BELOW    OANTON. 


The  river  is  a  most  interesting  scene,  enlivened  as  it  is 
with  a  vast  number  of  boats  of  all  shapes  and  sizes, 
from  the  tiny  campan  to  the  more  important  fast-boat. 
Above  the  anchorage  for  foreign  vessels  are  seen  a  num- 
ber of  huge  unwieldly  junks.     All  is  noise  and  confusion 


290  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

from  morning  till  night — boats  hailing  one  another  as 
they  pass,  sailors  shouting,  and  the  Tartars  in  their 
floating  dwellings  singing  as  they  sail  up  and  down  on 
the  tide. 

I  was  determined  to  see  Canton  this  time,  and  accord- 
ingly on  the  next  day  after  our  discharge,  George  and  I 
took  passage  on  one  of  the  fast-boats,  or  passenger  boats 
which  ply  between  Macao  and  that  city,  and  after  pass- 
ing, how  we  could  not  tell,  through  the  densest  mass  of 
boats  and  junks  of  all  sizes,  all  moving,  at  length  ar- 
rived abreast  of  the  city.  Here  the  surface  of  the  river 
was  covered  with  thousands  of  Tartar  boats,  moored  head 
and  stern,  forming  an  aquatic  town  of  no  small  dimen- 
sions, the  residents  of  which  probably  were  born,  lived, 
and  died  upon  the  water,  many  of  them  doubtless  never 
setting  their  feet  on  shore. 

Not  having  any  friends  at  the  factories,  we  engaged 
sleeping  room  on  the  fast-boat,  and  then  went  ashore  at 
noon,  to  see  what  we  could  of  the  town,  or  rather  of  the 
suburbs,  which  is  the  only  portion  accessible  to  for- 
eigners. 

Canton  has  been  so  often  described  that  it  is  unneces- 
sary here  to  give  a  detailed  account  of  it.  Neither  did 
I  see  sufficient  of  it  during  our  necessarily  short  stay  to 
say  much  about  it.  George  and  I  walked  through  the 
narrow  but  densely  crowded  streets,  looking  into  the 
shops  as  we  passed  along,  and  occasionally  stopping  to 
make  a  purchase  of  some  curiosity,  a  fan,  or  box,  or  pic- 
ture, which  struck  our  fancy,  until  we  were  so  encum- 
bered   with   our   newly  acquired  property  as  to  make 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  221 

farther  progress  inconvenient.  We  now  retraced  our  steps 
to  the  landing,  where  we  deposited  our  purchases  and  re- 
turned for  another  exploration. 

Thus  we  made  the  tour  of  the  principal  streets,  or  filthy 
alleys,  called  Old  China  street,  New  China  street,  and 
Hog  L^ne.  Of  the  latter,  I  will  not  say  more  here  than 
that  it  amply  deserves  its  name. 

We  visited  a  Chinese  market,  where,  besides  various 
fruits,  such  as  delicious  little  mandarin  oranges,  lichi, 
preserved  ginger,  etc.,  we  found  some  articles  displayed, 
and  meeting  with  a  ready  sale,  which  do  not  look  so  tempt- 
ing to  outside  barbarians.  These  were  cats,  dogs,  rats, 
and  eve  1  long  worms  preserved  in  sugar.  The  last  take 
rank  as  articles  of  luxury,  and  are  attainable  only  to  the 
more  favored  rich.  We  also  took  an  outside  look  at  a 
large  Chinese  or  Buddhist  Temple,  situated  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river,  which  forms  a  very  prominent  object  in 
the  landscape. 

By  this  time,  it  was  dark,  and  we  hastened  to  take 
possession  of  our  sleeping  apartment,  where  amid  the 
bustle  and  noise,  which  did  not  cease  all  night,  we  enjoy- 
ed a  good  night's  rest.  On  the  next  morning,  we  took  a 
last  ramble  about  the  town,  previous  to  leaving  on  the 
fast  boat,  which  was  to  sail  at  eleven  o'clock.  Many  of 
the  booths  or  huts  on  the  narrow  streets  are  occupied  as 
gambling  saloons,  where  the  wretched  Chinese  may  be 
seen  plying  at  various  games  of  chance  and  rascality. 

I  was  much  interested,  of  course,  with  all  the  novelties 
of  Canton ;  yet  my  visit  gave  me  much  less  satisfaction 
than  I  anticipated  from  it.    Such  an  assemblage  of  scoun- 


222  THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

drels,  of  all  grades  and  shades,  as  is  rampant  in  that  part 
of  Canton  to  which  Europeans  have  access,  is  not,  I  ima- 
gine, to  be  found  any  where  else  in  the  world.  I  firmly 
believe  that,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest,  they  are 
thieves,  to  a  man.  If  you  go  into  a  booth  to  make  a 
purchase,  unless  you  keep  your  eyes  and  hands  constantly 
upon  the  article  you  desire  to  buy,  it  will  be  changed  in 
the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  and  an  inferior  imitation  substi- 
tuted in  its  place.  This  too,  after  asking  you,  at  the 
beginning  of  your  trade,  at  least  four  times  what  they 
intend  to  take,  or  expect  to  get.  Aside  from  the  grosser 
forms  of  vice,  there  is  no  kind  of  low  rascality  which  the 
inhabitants  are  not  perfect  in — no  species  of  deception  or 
trickery  in  which  they  are  not  adepts.  It  is  no  wonder 
that  sailors,  who  come  in  contact  only  with  these  lower 
classes  of  Chinese,  learn  to  heartily  hate  and  despise 
them.  Canton,  I  believe,  bears  an  ill  name,  even  among 
the  Chinese  themselves,  as  being  the  general  rendezvous 
of  all  the  bad  characters  in  the  Celestial  Empire. 


-■r  .,'*;;<(.« 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Ship  in  a  Country-  Wallah — Sail  for  Port  Louis — Leave-taking — 
The  Lascar  Crew — Manner  of  Treating  them — Long  Calm — 
Superstitions  of  the  Lascars — Their  desire  to  Revolt — Arrival 
at  Port  Louis. 

When  we  returned  to  Whampoa,  we  were  informed  by 
our  shipmates  that  the  Captain  of  a  Scotch  barque  desired 
to  ship  two  sea-connies,  and  having  heard  that  George 
and  I  were  ashore,  had  offered  us  the  vacant  places.  She 
was  bound  to  Port  Louis,  in  the  Isle  of  France,  and  the 
wages  he  offered  were  twenty-five  rupees  per  month. 

I  proposed,  at  once,  to  ship,  as  I  had  been  wishing  to 
make  a  trip  in  a  country 'loaUah.  But  George,  who  had 
been  in  Port  Louis,  and  knew  somewhat  of  it,  declared 
that  he  was  not  going  there,  to  remain  ashore  till  half- 
starved,  and  then  have  to  ship  in  a  British  vessel  to  go  to 
England.  He  would  wait  for  a  ship,  in  Macao  or  Wham- 
poa, even  if  he  had  to  stop  ashore  there  a  month. 

This  did  not  suit  me.  I  agreed,  however,  to  look  for 
another  chance  for  us  two,  which  would  perhaps  suit  my 
chum  better.  But  there  was  at  that  time  no  other 
vacancy  to  be  found,  except  in  one  or  two  vessels,  bound 
round  the  Cape,  and  in  those  neither  of  us  desired  to  go. 

(223) 


224  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

I  scarcely  knew  what  to  determine  on.  I  did  not  want 
to  leave  my  old  chum ;  but  I  was  also  decidedly  averse  to 
remaining  any  longer  asliore,  with  a  fair  prospect  of  get- 
ting the  dysentery,  and  being  laid  up  for  several  months. 

It  was  finally  suggested  by  one  of  our  shipmates  that 
George  and  I  might  decide  the  matter  by  tossing  up  a 
dollar.  My  chum  declared,  however,  that  he  would  not 
go  to  the  Isle  of  Trance  under  any  circumstances. 

*'  But,  Charley,  toss  up,  and  if  you  get  the  best  in  three 
tosses,  we'll  consider  it  a  sign  that  you  ought  to  go  in  the 
barque,"  said  one  of  our  fellows. 

To  this  George  demurred,  saying  that  he  wanted  me  to 
stay  with  him. 

I  submitted  the  matter,  however,  to  the  test  proposed, 
and  Dame  Fortune  declared  in  favor  of  my  going  to  Port 
Louis.  The  next  morning,  I  shipped  with  the  captain  of 
the  barque,  and  bought  me  a  chest.  That  day  George 
and  I  divided  our  efiects  and  money,  and  the  following 
day  I  went  on  board  my  new  vessel. 

Our  parting  was,  as  may  be  imagined,  a  sorrowful  one. 
We  had  been  so  long  together  that  we  had  became  used  to 
one  another's  ways,  and  each  felt  that  a  separation  now 
would  leave  quite  a  void  in  his  feelings.  Yet  each  of  us 
persevered  obstinately  in  his  course,  and  there  was,  there- 
fore, no  help  for  it. 

On  the  morning  on  which  I  entered  upon  my  new  duties, 
we  all  assembled  in  the  forecastle  of  the  brig  to  say  good- 
bye. I  divided  out  some  keepsakes  among  my  old  ship- 
mates— some  small  matters  I  had  bought  in  Canton — and 
received  from  each  something  in  return.     While  we  were 


THE     MERCHANT     VESSEL.  225 

all  talking,  our  silent  man  came  down  with  a  quart  cup 
full  of  rum,  which  he  had  begged  of  the  steward  "  to  say 
farewe-ll  in." 

It  was  known  that  I  did  not  imbibe ;  yet,  for  this  time 
only,  it  was  declared,  must  I  drink  with  them.  And  as 
my  silent  friend  became  quite  eloquent  on  the  subject,  I 
was  obliged  to  assent. 

Accordingly,  the  cup  was  passed  around,  beginning 
with  me,  who  was  going  away.  Then  came  a  shaking 
hands  all  round,  my  non-talkative  shipmate  being  the 
last. 

Said  he:  ''Charley,  God  bless  you,  boy;  I'm  sorry 
you  are  leaving  us.  When  you  come  to  Sydney,  don't 
forget  to  hunt  us  all  up." 

And  so  I  jumped  into  the  sampan  alongside,  and  went 
aboard  the  barque.  I  had  before  made  over  the  monkey 
to  those  who  remained  in  the  brig,  with  the  hope  that  if 
ever  I  should  return  to  Sydney,  I  should  find  Jocko  safely 
housed  ashore. 

George  and  I  did  not  take  final  leave  of  each  other  till 
the  barque  sailed  down  the  river.  I  had  not  been  without 
a  secret  hope  that  he  would  yet  join  me.  But  he  would 
not  go  to  Port  Louis,  and  we  at  last  parted,  with  the 
agreement  to  meet  in  Calcutta,  if  possible,  during  the  year. 
But  we  met  no  more. 

My  new  vessel  was  very  different  from  any  I  had  ever 
been  aboard  of  before.  I  had,  therefore,  satisfaction  in 
thinking  that  even  if  Port  Louis  proved  as  poor  a  place 
as  George  had  represented  it  to  be,  I  should,  at  any  rate, 
upon  my  way  thither,  make  a  new  experience. 


226  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

My  duties  as  sea-connj,  or  steersman,  were  very  simple, 
although  tolerably  arduous  and  wearisome,  as  I  found 
before  the  passage  was  completed.  There  were  four  of  us 
to  steer  the  vessel,  and  mend  old  and  make  new  sails.  Of 
Lascars,  we  had  twenty-five,  with  a  serang  and  one  boats- 
wain's mate. 

The  European  portion  of  the  crew,  four  steersmen  and 
two  apprentices,  lived  in  a  little  square  cuddy,  inserted  in 
the  poop,  just  abaft  the  mainmast.  The  Lascars  nomi- 
nally had  the  forecastle  to  themselves,  but  this  was  closed 
as  soon  as  we  got  to  sea,  and  the  entire  company  of  them 
were  made  to  remain  upon  deck,  where  they  ate,  drank, 
and  slept,  during  the  entire  passage. 

We  sailed  down  Canton  river  on  the  15th  of  April,  at  a 
time  when  the  climate  of  that  part  of  China  was  pecu- 
liarly pleasant — the  torrid  heats  of  summer  not  yet  hav- 
ing set  in.  I  felt  almost  sorry  to  be  going  to  sea,  and 
leaving  the  soft  air  of  the  land  behind  us.  Yet  I  had 
nothing  to  keep  me  ashore,  and  was  really  glad  to  be  well 
rid  of  China. 

Our  course  lay  through  the  China  Sea,  and  into  the 
great  Indian  Ocean,  by  way  of  the  Straits  of  Malacca. 
We  began  our  voyage  with  a  fair  breeze,  and  consequently 
entertained  the  hope  that  we  should  make  a  short  pas- 
sage— a  hope  not  destined  to  fulfillment. 

Having  the  anchors  secured  upon  the  bows,  and  the 
chains  unbent — a  sign  that  the  ship  was  now  at  sea — our 
regular  sea-life  began.  The  steersmen  relieved  each  other 
at  night,  every  three  hours,  making  twelve  hours,  from 
six  to  six,  one  turn  to  each.     When  the  trick  at  the  helm 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  227 

was  over,  each  man  retired  to  his  berth,  to  sleep  the  other 
eight  hours. 

During  the  day-time,  we  were  generally  all  employed  on 
the  sails,  while  the  apprentices  steered  the  vessel.  The 
barque  had  been  some  years  from  England,  and  her  sails 
were  getting  old.  They  therefore  required  constant  re- 
pairing, at  which  we  worked  from  one  day's  end  to  the 
other. 

The  ship  was  worked  by  the  Lascars.  When  a  brace 
or  halyards  wanted  a  pull,  or  a  sail  was  to  be  set  or  taken 
in,  the  order  was  communicated  to  the  Sevang,  and  by  hira 
to  the  crew,  who  were  all  required,  night  or  day,  to  lend 
a  hand.  This,  of  course,  makes  a  great  difference  in 
dis  ipline  between  these  ships  and  such  as  are  manned 
entirely  by  '*  Europeans." 

The  Lascar  sailors  receive  from  four  to  ten  rupees  per 
month  (from  two  to  five  dollars) .  For  this,  they  oblige 
themselves  to  work  the  vessel,  and  to  make  such  repairs 
on  the  rigging  as  are  actually  necessary.  They  are  very 
active,  and,  in  general,  neat  sailors,  but  are  not  very 
strong,  and  have  no  powers  of  endurance  at  all.  In  fine 
and  warm  weather  they  make  the  best  of  crews  ;  but  in 
a  storm,  and  more  especially  when  the  weather  is  a  little 
raw  and  cold,  they  are  not  to  be  depended  on  for  anything 
but  skulking  from  their  duty. 

They  never  ship  for  voyages  which  would  lead  thera 
into  cold  weather,  and  it  is  only  in  the  greatest  extremity 
that  they  can  be  persuaded  to  go  around  the  Cape. 

They  are  a  vindictive  set,  when  roused  by  any  indigni- 
ties or  wrongs,  and  do  not  stop  short  of  the  most  extreme 


228  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

measures  in  gaining  their  revenge.  A  great  deal  of  care 
is  therefore  necessary  in  managing  them,  and  extra  pre- 
cautions are  taken,  in  every  ship  that  carries  a  Lascar 
crew,  to  forestall  the  consequences  of  a  sudden  revolt. 

Our  bark  had  a  barricade  stretching  across  from  the 
mainmast  to  each  rail,  ten  feet  high,  which  was  put  up 
every  evening  at  sunset,  and  abaft  of  which  no  Lascar 
was  allowed  to  come  at  night,  while  forward  of  it  no 
European  ventured,  except  when  the  working  of  the  ves- 
sel's sails  required  it.  The  orders  of  the  mates  were 
communicated  to  the  serang,  or  his  assistant,  who  remain- 
ed aft  constantly  to  receive  them,  and  who  saw  them 
carried  into  ePect. 

I  said  peculiar  care  was  required  in  their  management. 
This  care,  however,  is  rather  of  a  negative  than  positive 
kind.  It  consists  more  in  submitting  to  their  prejudices 
in  religious  matters,  than  in  actually  treating  them  well. 
The  officers  generally  abuse  them  scandalously,  upon  the 
slightest  neglect  or  dilatoriness,  thinking  but  little  of 
jumping  into  the  midst  of  a  crowd,  and  laying  about 
them,  right  and  left,  with  a  handspike  or  heaver.  And, 
in  fact,  I  had  occasion  to  see  that  this  manner  of  treat- 
ment produces  much  more  respect  and  orderly  obedience 
in  them,  than  kind  words.  They  very  quickly  learn  to 
despise  a  mild  or  soft-hearted  officer,  while  the  man  of  the 
strong  hand,  whose  word  is  followed  by  a  blow,  is  regarded 
with  respect — as  one  with  whom  they  dare  not  trifle. 

But  while  thus  submitting  with  as  good  grace  as  may 
be,  to  the  most  brutal  treatment,  so  slight  a  misdemeanor 
on  the  part  of  any  of  the  Europeans  as  handling  any  of 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  229 

their  cooking  utensils,  or  drinking  from  their  water  cask, 
would  produce  an  instantaneous  remonstrance,  and  a  re- 
petition of  the  offense  would  no  doubt  create  a  revolt.  So, 
also,  any  interference  with  their  superstitious  idol  wor- 
diip  would  provoke  a  most  sanguinary  return. 

We  were  scarce  fairly  at  sea,  when  orders  were  given 
to  fasten  up  the  forecastle,  in  order  that  all  hands  of 
the  Lascars  might  be  kept  on  deck.  It  has  been  found 
necessary  to  adopt  this  course  with  such  crews,  that 
they  may  have  no  chance  to  stow  themselves  away,  in  bad 
weather  or  at  night.  I^et  them  once  get  into  the  fore- 
castle, and  even  were  the  vessel  about  to  be  dismasted  in 
a  gale  or  squall,  they  would  not  come  up  to  assist  in  tak- 
ing in  sail.  It  is  not  unfrequently  necessary  to  beat 
and  whip  them,  to  force  them  aloft  to  take  in  canvas. 

A  Lascar  crew  require  a  separate  galley  and  cook. 
Their  religion  teaches  them  that  it  is  unclean  to  eat  out 
of  any  utensil  which  has  been  used  by  whites.  Their 
food  is  very  plain,  consisting  only  of  a  daily  allowance  of 
rice,  a  small  piece  of  salt  fish,  and  ghee,  a  species  of 
liquid  butter.  They  eat  but  two  meals  per  day — break 
fast  at  nine,  and  dinner  at  three.  Bread  is  to  them  un- 
known. Kice,  boiled  and  eaten  simple,  without  sauce  of 
any  kind,  is  their  **  staff  of  life."  From  this  they  make 
their  morning  meal.  At  dinner,  a  little  fish  and  their 
quota  of  rice  and  ghee  satisfies  their  wants. 

They  are  consequently  not  very  strong ;  but  their  ac- 
tivity is  remarkable.  They  run  aloft  like  cats.  They 
disdain  the  use  of  ratlines — the  small  lines  stretched 


230  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

across  a  ship's  rigging,  which  form  a  rope  ladder,  used 
"by  seamen  to  facilitate  their  passage  to  the  mast  head. 

The  Lascar  sailor  takes  hold  of  the  nearly  perpendic- 
ular backstay  with  his  hands,  places  then  his  feet 
against  it,  taking  the  rope  between  his  great  toe  and  the 
next  one,  and  in  this  manner  deliberately,  and  yet  very 
rapidly  walks  aloft.  In  the  performance  of  this  feat, 
European  sailors  can  not  approach  them.  In  ships  which 
carry  a  Lascar  crew,  the  ratlines  are  generally  taken  off 
the  rigging,  except  one  narrow  row,  left  for  the  convenience 
of  the  sea-connies,  who  go  aloft  to  assist  in  reefing,  etc. 

We  retained  our  fair  wind  until  we  were  nearly  up 
to  the  island  of  Banca.  We  were  in  fact  already 
congratulating  ourselves  on  having  sailed  so  speedily 
through  the  most  difficult  part  of  our  navigation,  and 
had  set  the  day  when  we  should  have  passed  through  the 
straits  of  Sunda.  But  '*  man  proposes,  God  disposes." 
W"e  were  barely  abreast  of  Banca  when  the  wind  hauled 
dead  in  our  teeth,  and  after  vainly  endeavoring  to  beat 
ahead  for  a  couple  of  days,  the  skipper,  (as  the  captain  is 
familiarly  called  in  British  vessels — the  Yankee  sailor 
speaks  of  him  as  "  the  old  man,")  got  out  of  patience, 
and  put  her  off  to  run  through  the  straits  of  Malacca. 

This  was  making  a  considerable  detour  from  our  direct 
course.  But  there  was  a  prospect  that  the  wind  would 
hold  in  the  direction  in  which  it  had  set  in,  and  if  it  did 
so,  we  could  run  round  the  longer  way  much  quicker  and 
easier  than  we  could  beat  through  the  shorter  passage. 

Through  the  Malacca  straits  we  therefore  ran,  under  a 
press  of  canvas,  with  the  wind  a  little  abaft  our  larboard 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  231 

beam.  The  barque  was  not  by  any  means  a  poor  sailer, 
and  with  favoring  breezes  she  made  a  glorious  run  through 
the  straits. 

That  is  to  say,  so  the  captain  considered  it.  Had  we 
had  passengers,  they  too  would  have  so  thought  it,  and 
would  probably  have  become  enthusiastic  on  the  subject.. 
But  looking  at  the  matter  from  the  seaman's  point  of 
view,  it  was  anything  but  a  glorious  run. 

To  the  denizens  of  the  forecastle,  the  idea  of  such  a 
run  brings  with  it  thoughts  of  many  evils  to  them,  many 
anxieties,  much  hard  labor,  which  a  less  favorable  wind 
would  have  spared  them.  For  the  comfort  of  the  crew, 
a  breeze  about  two  points  forward  of  the  beam,  just  fair 
enough  to  keep  a  fore  topmast  studd'nsail  set  to  advan- 
tage, is  by  far  the  most  desirable.  Sailing  alor^g  with 
the  wind  this  way,  the  vessel  steers  easily,  the  ship 
moves  along  steadily,  pressed  down  upon  her  side  by  the 
breeze,  and  there  are  an  abundance  of  snug  places  under 
the  lee  of  the  weather  bulwarks,  where  the  watch  on 
deck  at  night  can  caulk-'  in  peace,  untroubled  by  hoist- 
ing, shifting,  and  lowering  studdingsails,  or  trimming 
braces,  and  not  haunted  by  the  dread  of  an  approaching 
trick  at  the  wheel. 

AVhen  the  wind  is  aft,  and  a  glorious  run  is  being 
made,  all  comfort  is  lost  sight  of.  What  with  swigging 
at  studd'nsail  halyards,  reeving  preventer  braces,  trim- 
ming here  a  little  and  there  a  little,  the  watch  on  deck  is 

*^  Caulking,  so  sleeping  on  deck  at  night,  when  there  is  no- 
thing for  the  watch  to  do,  is  called. 


SI32  THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

continually  busy.  The  wind,  too,  rakes  the  ship  fore  and 
aft,  leaving  not  the  smallest  spot  uninvaded,  and  for  the 
time  being  all  the  snug  caulking  places,  under  the 
lee  of  the  long  boat  or  bulwark,  are  per  force  given  up. 

The  vessel  rolls  from  side  to  side,  with  a  crazy  motion 
not  at  all  comfortable  ;  she  brings  up  with  a  sudden  and 
unexpected  jerk  which  is  apt  to  take  one  off  his  feet. 
The  sea,  as  it  rushes  past  the  side,  has  an  altogether  dif- 
ferent and  unnatural  sound ;  and  the  breeze,  coming  from 
aft,  is  thrown  down  toward  the  deck  by  the  reaction  of 
the  sails,  and  makes  every  place  unpleasant. 

Lastly,  in  such  a  time,  the  ship  steers  wildly,  and 
that,  too,  just  when  the  captain  is  most  anxious  to  vsee 
her  go  straight,  in  order  to  make  all  the  headway  possi- 
ble. Steering  is,  under  any  circumstances,  the  most 
wearisome  of  a  sailor's  multifarious  duties. 

To  have  the  attention  fixed  for  two  weary  hours  upon 
a  single  object,  without  permitting  the  mind  or  the  eye 
to  wander  for  a  moment,  that  object  being,  withal,  a  ves- 
sel continually  thrown  off  her  proper  course  by  the  action 
of  the  sails  and  the  sea,  is  far  more  laborious  than  any 
one  can  imagine  who  has  not  experienced  it.  But  with  a 
roaring  breeze  aft,  and  all  studd'nsails  set,  it  sometimes 
becomes  a  positive  torture  to  steer. 

I  have  noticed  a  general  impression  among  landsmen, 
that  a  ship  must  steer  easiest  when  the  wind  is  square 
astern.  This  seems,  too,  a  natural  supposition  ;  yet  no- 
thing is  farther  from  the  fact.  The  sea  follows  the  direc- 
tion of  the  wind,  and  in  a  strong  breeze  aft,  the  waves, 
which  dash  violently  against  the  ship's  counter,  sway  her 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  233 

incessantly,  now  to  one  side  now  to  the  other.  The  sails, 
also,  bear  an  uneven  pressure  upon  the  hull  while  forcing 
it  through  the  water. 

Now  she  is  swept  might  and  main  to  the  starboard, 
and  the  helmsman,  who  has  foreseen  the  movement,  rat- 
tles the  wheel  down  to  meet  her.  But  no  sooner  does 
she  feel  the  helm,  no  sooner  has  the  rudder,  fixed  for  the 
moment  transversely  across  the  stern,  caused  her  to  stop 
in  her  deviation  upon  this  side,  than  the  obstinate  craft 
takes  a  mighty,  almost  resistless  sweep  to  the  other  side, 
and  *'  meet  her,"  is  the  cry,  while  poor  Jack  tugs  desper- 
ately at  the  heavy-moving  wheel,  to  bring  her  back  to 
her  course. 

Thus,  often  the  helm  is  not  for  one  moment  in  the  two 
hours'  "  trick ''  held  still,  and  the  steersman  lifts  and 
pulls  at  the  wheel,  in  vain  attempts  to  keep  the  vessel 
on  her  course,  great  drops  of  perspiration  rolling  down 
his  face,  and  every  muscle  and  tendon  exerted  to  its 
utmost. 

There  is  much  diiference  in  steering.  Some  vessels 
may  be  guided  on  their  course  with  comparative  ease, 
under  circumstances  in  which  it  would  be  vain  to  attempt 
to  keep  others  within  three  points  either  way.  It  is  ob- 
vious that  as  a  bad  steering  ship  makes  an  irregular,  zig- 
zag course,  instead  of  going  in  a  straight  line,  she  does 
not  in  such  case  make  the  real  progress  that  her  headway 
through  the  water  would  lead  one  to  believe.  Thus,  in 
some  vessels,  to  count  two  knots  (two  miles)  out  of  ten, 
for  bad  steering  in  strong  breezes,  is  a  very  moderate 
allowance. 


234  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

Of  course,  in  such  a  time  one  does  not  look  forward  to 
a  trick  at  tlie  wheel  with  the  most  pleasant  feelings  in 
the  world.  But  Jack  is  far  from  owning  to  any  unea- 
siness on  the  subject.  Every  one  pretends  to  look  upon 
the  matter  with  the  utmost  indiiFerence,  and  a  man  goes 
aft  to  take  the  helm,  with  a  smile  on  his  face,  as  though 
it  was  the  greatest  pleasure,  all  the  while  quaking  in  his 
boots  at  the  thought  of  what  is  before  him. 

When,,  at  the  expiration  of  two  hours,  he  comes  for- 
ward, and  is  asked,  "  how  does  she  steer?"  he  does  not 
acknowledge  that  it  is  the  hardest  work  in  the  world, 
and  that  he  was  very  glad  when  his  trick  was  out.  This 
would  be  out  of  order — a  sacrifice  of  dignity. 

He  replies  with  the  utmost  sany  froid,  *'  Oh,  she  steers 
like  a  boat  now  ;  I  could  steer  her  all  day,  as  she  goes 
along  with  this  breeze." 

It  is  one  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  sailor,  that  having 
just  escaped  from  any  position  of  difficulty  or  danger,  he 
will  not  then  own  to  it.  Although  it  may  have  been  an 
extreme  case,  though  he  may  have  got  safely  out  of  the 
most  imminent  peril,  he  is  expected  to  make  light  of  the 
circumstances,  and  any  attempt  to  treat  the  matter  seri- 
ously would  expose  him  to  the  ridicule  of  his  shipmates. 
To  have  escaped  is  considered  sufficient  proof  that  the 
peril  was  not  great ;  to  have  performed  the  duty  is  evi- 
dence that  it  was  not  difficult. 

I  remember  a  circumstance  which  will  bring  this  mat- 
ter perhaps  more  clearly  before  the  reader.  Two  men 
went  out  to  stow  the  flying  jib.  There  was  a  very 
heavy  head  sea  on,  and  the  vessel  was   consequently 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  235 

pitching  bows  under,  rendering  the  service  one  of  no  lit- 
tle difficulty.  They  had  secured  the  sail,  and  were  just 
returning  on  board,  when  the  ship  gave  an  unusually 
violent  pitch,  and  both  men  slid  down  the  footrope,  loos- 
ing their  hold  of  the  slippery  jibboom,  and  only  saving 
themselves  by  catjhing  with  their  hands  on  the  footropes, 
where  they  hung  on,  between  wind  and  water,  and  so 
came  in  hand  over  hand,  till  they  reached  the  bowsprit 
shrouds,  being  in  imminent  danger  of  being  washed  off 
by  the  seas,  in  which  they  were  immersed  up  to  their 
middle.  AYe  who  stood  on  deck  watched  them  with 
breathless  attention,  expecting  momentarily  to  see  them 
go  overboard,  in  which  case  no  human  power  could  have 
saved  them. 

When  they  got  safely  in  on  deck,  an  old  salt  said, 
*'  You  two  fellows  want  to  show  oft*  some  of  your  smart- 
ness, cutting  about  on  the  footropes.  A  little  more  and 
you  would  have  gone  to  Davy  Jones'  locker." 

*'  It  takes  more  than  that  to  ship  me  for  Davy  Jones*," 
answered  one,  with  a  careless  laugh.  The  other,  how- 
ever, took  the  matter  more  to  heart,  and  attempted  to 
describe  to  us  his  thoughts  as  he  hung  on.  the  ropes,  ex- 
pecting to  be  washed  away.  He  was  met  with  a  general 
jeer  of  derision  ;  and  for  the  balance  of  the  voyage,  he 
and  his  adventure  were  the  laughing  stock  of  the  fore- 
castle. 

This  insensibility  to  danger  grows  naturally  upon  the 
sailor.  His  life  is  one  of  continual  exposure  and  peril, 
and  he  soon  learns  to  regard  every  danger  escaped,  or 


236  THE    MERCHANT   VESSEL. 

difficulty  overcome,  however  great  they  may  be,  with 
comparative  iDtlifference. 

Besides  this,  such  an  accident  as  slipping  one's  hold  on 
a  yard  or  boom,  is  considered  lubberly,  and  he  to  whom  it 
happens,  if  a  seaman,  is  too  much  ashamed  of  his  care- 
lessness to  say  much  about  it. 

Until  within  the  last  three  or  four  years,  a  life-buoy 
was  an  article  almost  unknown  on  board  any  American 
vessels  except  the  packet  ships.  The  boats,  the  only 
hope  of  saving  a  man  who  has  fallen  overboard,  are  al- 
ways secured  with  such  a  multiplicity  of  stout  lashings 
as  to  make  it  a  work  of  at  least  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes 
to  get  one  into  the  water.  It  is  therefore  evident 
that  to  the  merchant  sailor,  if  he  falls  overboard,  there 
is  no  hope  of  rescue.  He  never  goes  aloft,  but  at  the 
risk  of  his  life.  But  habit  is  everything,  and  no 
one  ever  thinks  of  these  things  at  sea,  or  if  he  does, 
wisely  keeps  his  thoughts  to  himself. 

To  return  to  our  voyage.  We  made  a  glorious  run 
through  the  straits  of  Malacca,  and  retained  our  fair 
wind  until  we  struck  the  line  on  the  other  side  of  the 
island  of  Sumatra,  in  about  longitude  ninety,  east.  Here 
our  breeze  left  us,  and  we  were  becalmed. 

This  is  a  fated  spot.  It  is  a  region  of  almost  inter- 
minable calms,  and  as  such  is  avoided  when  possible  by  all 
vessels  sailing  out  of  or  approaching  the  Malacca  Straits. 

We  were  fairly  caught,  and  lay  under  the  sweltering 
sun  of  the  line  until  we  almost  gave  up  all  hope  of  get- 
ting away. 

Our  captain  had  reckoned  upon  a  quick  passage,  and 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  237 

the  vessel  was  in  consequence  but  poorly  supplied  with 
provisions.  Before  we  got  a  breeze  once  more,  we  had 
cause  to  fear  a  famine.  It  became  necessary  to  put  all 
hands  on  short  allowance.  This  was  particularly  hard 
on  the  poor  Lascars,  whose  lawful  allowance  is  small 
enough.  But  to  make  matters  worse  for  them,  the  rice 
began  to  grow  mouldy,  and  was  soon  almost  unfit  to  eat. 

They  used  every  species  of  incantation  known  to  them, 
to  procure  from  their  god  the  favor  of  a  breeze.  Day 
and  night  they  were  praying  to  their  idol,  whose  shrine, 
under  the  top  -gallant  forecastle,  was  now  adorned  with 
numerous  votive  oflPerings  of  his  distressed  worshipers. 

They  at  last  got  an  idea  that  the  calm  was  sent  upon 
us  to  punish  the  wickedness  of  our  captain,  who,  when 
in  liquor,  was  wont  to  make  all  manner  of  disparaging 
remarks  about  the  idol.  They  conceived  that  their  pat- 
ron saint  was  not  able  to  see,  through  such  a  mass  of 
wickedness,  the  offerings  made  at  his  shrine,  and  on  con- 
sultation they  determined  to  approach  him  nearer.  Ac- 
cordingly, they  placed  other  tributes  at  the  mainmast 
head,  and  at  the  flying  jibboom  end. 

I  had  the  curiosity  to  examine,  while  they  were 
stretched  on  deck  asleep,  the  sacrifice  placed  at  the  mast- 
head. It  consisted  of  a  handful  of  rice,  a  rupee,  and  a 
slip  of  paper  with  some  Hindoo  characters  written  upon 
it — the  whole  wrapped  up  in  a  cotton  cloth,  and  securely 
fastened  to  the  truck. 

On  inquiring  of  the  serang,  after  the  calm  was  over, 
I  learned  that  the  rice  was  to  show  the  god  what  his  poor 
followers  were  forced  to  eat,  the  rupee  was  a  propitiatory 


238  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

offering,  while  the  writing  on  the  paper  stated  their  press- 
ing need,  and  conveyed  a  prayer  and  a  promise  of  future 
good  behavior. 

But  something  more  serious  now  claimed  our  attention. 
1  have  already  mentioned  that  we  had  two  white  boys, 
apprentices,  on  board.  These  lads  had  learned  the  Hin- 
dostanee  language,  and  were  much  among  the  Lascar  por- 
tion of  the  crew.  The  captain  had  instructed  them  already 
that  they  were  to  be  cautious  in  their  intercourse  with 
these.  He  rather  favored  their  intimacy  with  them,  as 
thereby  he  was  more  likely  to  learn  of  any  plans  of  mu- 
tiny that  might  be  hatching  out  forward. 

We  had  not  long  been  on  half  allowance,  when  one 
of  the  boys  informed  us  that  the  Lascars  had  asked  him, 
apparently  by  chance,  but  evidently  with  a  purpose, 
whether  he  understood  navigation.  The  boy  could  navi- 
gate, the  captain  having  taught  him.  But  he  had  the 
good  sense  to  answer  in  the  negative.  His  interrogators 
were  evidently  much  disappointed.  The  other  boy  was 
also  questioned,  but  with  a  similar  result. 

By  a  little  management,  the  lads  obtained  sufficient 
information  of  their  plans  to  show  us  that  they  had  in- 
tended, could  either  one  of  the  boys  navigate,  to  rise  and 
murder  all  the  Europeans  except  that  boy.  They  in- 
tended to  preserve  him,  and  force  him  to  take  the  vessel, 
when  a  breeze  came,  into  the  neighborhood  of  some  port 
in  the  Bay  of  Bengal,  where  they  would  set  fire  to  the 
barque  to  conceal  their  crime,  and  go  ashore  in  the  boats. 

The  captain  expressed  but  little  surprise  at  the 
discovery   of  their   plan.      He   had   been  long  enough 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  239 

among  the  Lascars  to  know  that  such  a  pui-pose  was  not 
unlikely  to  be  entertained,  if  the  vessel  got  into  any 
difficulties,  or  they  were  seriously  dissatisfied  with  the 
voyage. 

We  took  some  extra  precautions  to  guard  against  sur- 
prise ;  the  arms  in  the  armchest  were  loaded,  and  placed 
ready  for  use  ;  but  farther,  nothing  was  done — no  notice 
taken  of  the  design  on  foot. 

Our  security  lay  in  the  fact  that  they  had  no  one  to 
navigate  the  barque  for  them.  Had  either  one  of  the 
boys  been  so  imprudent  as  to  own  that  he  could  work  the 
vessel,  there  was  no  doubt  that  a  desperate  attempt 
would  have  been  made  to  carry  into  effect  their  plans. 

We  were  eighteen  days  becalmed,  in  all  which  time  we 
did  not  make  sixty  miles  to  the  south.  At  last  came 
the  breeze,  and  we  joyfully  ran  up  the  studd'n-sails,  and 
stood  on  our  course.  The  Lascars  firmly  believed  that 
their  prayers  and  offerings  had  propitiated  the  ruler  of 
the  winds  in  our  favor,  and  triumphantly  adduced  this  as 
an  evidence  of  the  power  of  their  idol,  whose  altai  was 
now  decked  with  ribbons  and  bright-colored  paper — tokens 
of  the  gratitude  of  his  worshipers. 

The  breeze  continued  with  us  until  we  reached  the 
Mauritius,  as  the  Isle  of  France  is  commonly  called.  We 
had  a  ninety-days'  passage  to  Port  Louis.  Although  not 
actually  out  of  provisions  w^hen  we  got  there,  common 
prudence  had  forced  the  captain  to  keep  us  on  short 
allowance  for  nearly  half  that  time.  I  was,  consequently, 
glad  enough  to  get  ashore,  if  it  were  only  to  eat  once 
more  a  good  meal.     Moldy  rice  and  rusty  pork,  peas  full 


240  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

of  bugs,  and  worm-eaten  bread,  had  been  our  fare  for  a 
large  portion  of  the  passage. 

This  is,  however,  sailor's  luck.  It  is  a  great  blessing 
that  the  sea-air  produces  an  appetite  which  enables  one 
to  stomach  almost  anything  bearing  the  semblance  of 
provisions. 

We  moored  the  vessel,  head  and  stern,  sent  down  the 
top-gallant  and  royal  yards  and  top-gallantmasts,  and 
prepared  the  top-masts  and  topsail-yards  for  being  sent  on 
deck,  precautions  which  are  enforced  by  the  authorities 
of  the  port,  to  guard  against  accidents  in  time  of  hurri- 
canes, which  prevail  in  these  latitudes  during  certain 
seasons  of  the  year.  This  done,  I  was  free  to  go  ashore. 
I  was  paid  off  with  fifty  rupees  (twenty-five  dollars), 
which  was  two  months'  wages,  having  received  the  usual 
month's  advance  at  Whampoa — and  spent  it,  too. 

On  the  day  on  which  I  left  the  vessel,  the  Lascars  also 
demanded  their  discharge.  They  would  not  sail  any 
longer  with  our  captain,  whom  they  regarded  as  a  repro 
bate — one  who  was  under  the  curse  of  their  idol. 

The  captain  cared  but  little  about  their  leaving,  but 
was  very  desirous  to  retain  the  serang,  who  was  an  unu- 
sually smart  and  trustworthy  fellow.  Here  I  learned 
another  of  their  peculiarities.  The  serang  was  desirous 
to  stay  ;  but  the  connection  in  which  he  stood  to  the  crew 
made  it  impossible.  These  men  unite  themselves  in 
gangs  or  companies,  choose  one  of  their  number,  generally 
the  eldest,  for  their  serang  or  chief,  and  thus  ship  on  a 
vessel.  During  the  voyage,  any  unusual  action  they  con- 
sider expedient  to  take,  is  referred  to  the  entire  body,  and 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  241 

the  determination  of  the  majority  settles  the  matter. 
From  this,  no  one  of  them  dares  depart,  as  he  would  be 
regarded  a  traitor. 

When  we  arrived  at  Port  Louis,  a  council  was  held  to 
determine  whether  they  should  leave.  Various  arguments 
were  offered  for  and  against  such  step,  but  finally,  those 
in  favor  of  leaving  prevailed ;  and  now  the  serang,  who 
had  been  in  the  minority,  felt  himself  bound  to  go  with 
his  companions.  No  offer  of  additional  wages  could 
prevail  on  him  to  stay. 
16 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Difficulty  of  getting  a  Ship — Go  on  board  an  American  Ves- 
sel— Off  for  Rio — A  Yarn  from  a  Company  Sailor — Rio  de 
Janeiro  Harbor — For  Boston — Cold  Weather. 

Taking  my  chest  and  hammock  on  shore,  I  first  of  all 
hunted  up  a  boarding-house.  Boarding,  I  found,  was  at 
the  rate  of  ten  rupees  per  week.  There  were  but  two 
meals  per  day,  East  India  fashion,  and  every  man  was 
expected  to  furnish  his  own  bedding,  being  provided  with 
enough  floor  to  spread  it  on. 

This  was  fully  as  bad  as  my  chum  had  represented 
matters  to  me.  I  saw  that  at  such  rates,  fifty  rupees 
would  last  but  a  little  while ;  and  lost  no  time  in  looking 
up  a  ship. 

But,  unfortunately,  ships  were  scarce  just  then.  I 
desired  to  go  to  some  part  of  India,  but  so,  it  seemed,  did 
every  other  sailor  on  shore,  and  there  were  not  a  few  of 
them.  I  was  without  acquaintances,  unused  to  the  ways 
of  the  port,  and  soon  saw  that  if  I  wanted  to  escape  be- 
coming '*  hard  up,"  as  it  is  termed  among  sailors,  I 
would  have  to  spend  all  my  time  on  the  mole  and  among 
the  ships,  to  catch  a  chance. 
r24?) 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  243 

"  Hard  up,"  is  a  dread  word  among  seamen.  Few  but 
have  experienced  all  its  horrors.  There  are  seasons  in 
every  port  when,  from  a  stagnation  in  business,  fewer 
ships  are  fitted  out  than  arrive,  and  consequently  there 
is  a  surplus  of  seamen  on  shore,  for  whom  there  is  of 
course  no  employment. 

These  poor  fellows  are  obliged  to  waste  their  time  and 
means  in  vain  pursuit  of  a  ship,  and  finally,  when  they 
have  no  longer  the  money  necessary  to  pay  for  their 
boarding  and  lodging,  must  dispose  of  their  clothing,  that 
which  they  need  most,  to  pay  the  landlord,  or  in  default — 
or  even  after  having  done  this — are  turned  into  the  street, 
to  shift  for  themselves,  as  best  they  may. 

Then  they  may  be  seen — poor,  half- starved  fellows — 
sneaking  about  the  shipping,  taking  shelter  for  the  night 
under  lee  of  boxes  and  bales  on  the  quay,  and  begging  a 
crust  from  some  compassionate  cook,  to  keep  them  from 
utter  starvation. 

In  American  ports,  it  does  not  often  happen  that  sailors 
are  reduced  to  these  extremities ;  but  in  foreign  parts, 
and  especially  in  the  principal  seaports  of  England,  there 
is  no  depth  of  misery  which  seamen  do  not  sometimes 
sufi*er. 

I  will  relate  here  an  incident,  of  which  I  was  an  eye- 
witness, which  will  show  to  what  extreme  seamen  are  not 
unfrequently  reduced.  We  were  in  the  King's  Dock,  in 
Liverpool ;  it  was  in  November,  and  **  times"  were  "  poor  " 
ashore,  so  we  heard.  The  steward  had,  one  afternoon, 
brought  up  out  of  the  bread-locker,  a  quantity  of  spoiled 
bread — sea-bread — which,  having  got  wet,  was  all  alive 


244  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

with  worms — a  disgusting  mess,  which  was  intended  for 
the  pig. 

Two  sailors,  who  had  been  wandering  forlornly  about 
the  vessel  and  dock  all  day,  looked  at  this  bread  with 
eager  eyes.  At  length,  it  seemed  they  could  no  longer 
withstand  the  temptation,  and  both  got  on  board  and 
walked  up  to  the  long-boat,  where  it  was  setting.  Turn- 
ing it  over,  they  picked  out  a  few  of  the  least  worm-eaten 
biscuit,  and  asked  the  steward,  who  had  been  looking  on, 
for  permission  to  take  them. 

He  would  not  believe  that  the  men  were  so  hungry  as 
to  desire  to  eat  this  stuiF,  and,  suspecting  some  trick  to 
extort  charity,  told  them  coldly  they  might  eat  it  if  they 
wished.  They  thanked  him,  took  it  on  the  quay,  and 
there,  knocking  the  worms  out  of  it.  began  to  eat  it. 

Several  of  us  who  had  watched  their  actions,  now  inter- 
fered, called  them  on  board,  and  gave  them  as  much  as 
they  could  eat  of  such  as  we  had  in  the  forecastle.  They 
told  us  that  they  were  then  tasting  food  for  the  first  time 
in  forty-eight  hours — a  statement  which  their  wan  looks 
and  voracious  appetites  showed  to  be  too  true. 

They  had  been  two  months  on  shore,  had  sold  every 
stitch  of  clothing  they  owned  except  the  dungaree  shirts 
and  trousers  they  had  on — had  even  disposed  of  their 
shoes,  and  were  walking  the  streets  barefooted.  They  had 
been  turned  out  of  their  boarding-houses,  and  had,  for 
some  weeks,  slept  on  boxes  and  bales,  in  corners  of  the 
docks,  where  a  kind  watchman  would  give  them  shelter. 
All  this,  too,  in  the  month  of  November. 

They  were  now  entirely  destitute,  and  would  have  to 


THE    MERCHANT    YESSEL.  245 

suffer  dreadfully  for  the  want  of  suitable  clothing,  even 
if  they  got  a  sh'p — of  which,  however,  there  seemed  but 
little  hope,  for  what  captain  would  ship  such  worn,  weak 
fellows  when  he  could  have  his  choice  of  hundreds  of 
sailors.  Yet  I  had  one  of  these  very  men  as  a  shipmate 
afterward,  and  a  steadier  man  or  better  sailor  I  never 
knew.     This  is  one  of  the  dark  sides  of  a  sailor's  life. 

As  before  said,  I  was  afraid  of  getting  hard  up,  and 
determined  to  avail  myself  of  the  first  chance  of  ship- 
ping. I  had  been  already  nearly  three  weeks  ashore,  and 
was  very  nearly  at  the  bottom  of  ray  purse,  when,  fortu- 
nately, an  American  ship,  about  to  sail  for  Kio  de  Janeiro 
and  Boston,  needed  a  hand,  and  I  obtained  the  chance. 
The  wages  were  very  low — only  ten  dollars  per  month, 
and  no  advance.  To  the  latter  circumstance  I  was 
indebted  for  being  chosen  out  of  some  ten  or  twelve  who 
desired  to  ship.  All  the  rest  were  already  in  debt  ashore, 
beyond  their  means  to  pay,  while  I  was,  so  far,  square 
with  the  landlord,  and  had  ten  rupees  left  wherewith  to 
purchase  myself  a  little  warm  clothing,  of  which  I  stood 
much  in  need. 

I  had  now  been  so  long  in  warm  weather  that  I  had 
scarcely  any  woolen  clothes,  and  dreaded  doubling  the 
Cape  with  so  poor  a  fit  out  as  I  was  the  possessor  of.  But 
necessity  knows  no  law.  Whether  I  wanted  to  or  not,  I 
had  to  face  the  weather. 

Although  three  weeks  ashore  in  Port  Louis,  I  saw 
scarcely  anything  of  the  city,  and  nothing  at  all  of  the 
suburbs  and  neighborhood,  or  of  any  other  portion  of  the 
island.     The  city  is  situated  at  the  bottom  of  a  tolerably 


246  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL 

roomy  basin,  which  forms  the  anchorage.  It  is  sur- 
rounded on  all  sides,  but  the  north,  with  high  mountains, 
the  rugged  volcanic  peaks  of  which  rise  in  most  singular 
shapes. 

The  population  is  composed  of  many  diiferent  nations, 
both  Oriental  and  Occidental.  Among  Europeans,  French 
and  English  predominate.  Of  the  Eastern  races,  the 
Hindoos  are  in  point  of  numbers  the  strongest,  but  there 
are  Parsees,  Chinese,  Malays,  Africans,  Madagascarenes, 
Arabs — in  short,  representatives  of  nearly  every  race  and 
nation  of  the  Orient.  The  natives,  who  are  mostly  black, 
the  descendents  of  Madagascarenes,  speak  a  barbarous 
species  of  Erench,  but  generally  understand  English  in 
addition. 

The  little  I  saw  of  the  Mauritius  pleased  me  much, 
and  I  resolved  if  possible  to  return  thither  at  some  fu- 
ture time,  and  make  it  my  port  of  departure  for  a 
while,  sailing  hence  in  the  little  traders  which  fre- 
quent the  bays  of  Madagascar,  and  explore  the  adjoining 
African  coast,  and  the  islands  of  the  Indian  Ocean.  As 
this  one  of  my  day  dreams  was,  singularly  enough,  real- 
ized to  some  extent  afterward,  I  will  defer  any  farther 
description  of  Port  Louis  and  its  environs  until  it  turns 
up  again  in  the  regular  course  of  my  narrative ;  merely 
saying  here  that  it  derived  much  of  its  interest  to  me 
from  the  fact  that  here  is  laid  the  scene  of  Pierre  St. 
Bernard's  beautiful  story  of  Paul  and  Virginia.  Poor 
sailor  that  I  was,  I  was  deprived  by  my  poverty  of  the 
pleasure  of  making  a  pilgrimage  to  the  graves  of  these 
true  lovers.     I  even  got  but  a  glimpse  at  the  narrow  and 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  247 

shallow  harbor,  called  to  this  day  Tombo  Bay  (Bay  of 
Tombs) ,  where  Virginia's  ship  was  cast  ashore,  and  she 
and  Paul  met  so  melancholy  a  fate. 

Such  is  but  too  often  the  fortune  of  the  seaman.  He 
visits  places  of  the  greatest  interest,  but  finds  the  cir- 
cumstances which  control  him  such  as  to  deprive  him  of 
all  the  pleasure  he  had  anticipated  from  his  voyage. 

As  we  sailed  out  of  Port  Louis  harbor,  I  was  forced  to 
confess  to  myself  that  the  object  I  had  had  in  view  in 
coming  to  the  East  Indies  had  been  very  poorly  fulfilled. 
I  was  bitterly  disappointed  when  I  thought  that  al- 
though I  had  been  to  Calcutta  and  Madras,  I  knew  but 
little  more  of  either  place  than  if  I  had  never  seen  them. 
That  though  I  had  made  another  voyage  to  China,  1  was 
but  little  wiser  than  before.  That  after  all  the  hard- 
ship and  trouble  seen  and  suffered  since  I  left  the  Uni- 
ted States,  more  than  sixteen  months  before,  I  was  no 
more  satisfied  with  the  little  I  had  seen  than  I  was  be- 
fore 1  set  out  upon  this  voyage,  from  which  I  had  antici- 
pated so  much.  In  truth  I  was  learning  by  experience 
that  of  all  travelers  the  sailor  sees  the  least,  and  pays 
most  dearly  for  it. 

I  turned  my  face  America- ward,  with  a  mind  ill  con- 
tented, a  poorly  provided  chest,  and  a  nearly  empty 
purse.  But  with  an  obstinacy  worthy,  perhaps,  a  better 
cause,  I  determined  to  make  one  more  trial.  Using  the 
experience  gained  in  the  last  year  and  a  half,  I  thought 
I  could  perhaps  make  my  way  about  the  Indies  a  little 
more  to  my  satisfaction  than  I  had  succeeded  in  doing 
this  time. 


24S  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

We  left  Port  Louis  in  July.  The  vessel  in  which  I 
was  now,  had  brought  a  cargo  of  rice  from  Arracan  to 
the  Mauritius.  Her  captain  found  freights  in  the  latter 
place  rather  dull,  and  determined  to  return  to  the  United 
States,  stopping  at  Eio  de  Janeiro  by  the  way,  to  procure 
a  cargo  of  coffee. 

We  had  a  singular  crew.  Among  the  twelve  members 
of  the  forecastle,  at  least  seven  different  nations  were  rep- 
resented. There  were  two  Americans,  three  Englishmen, 
a  native  of  St.  Helena,  two  Manillamen,  two  Frenchmen, 
one  Spaniard,  and  one  Swede. 

Our  vessel  had  been  for  some  years  sailing  from  port 
to  port  in  the  Indies,  and  had  gradually  lost  all  her  own 
crew,  and  picked  up  at  random  the  men  who  now  manned 
her.  They  were  all  good  seamen ;  but  we  made  a  very 
unsociable  set  in  the  forecastle.  So  many  different  na-* 
tions  can  not  agree  well  together,  when  thrown  into 
such  close  connection  as  we  were,  in  a  narrow  forecastle. 
The  English  hated  the  Manillamen,  as  ''  conniving 
fellows,"  because  these  would  not  get  drunk  with  them  ; 
while  the  Spaniard  made  friends  of  them  because  they 
spoke  his  language.  The  St.  Helena  man  was  ranged  on 
Johnny  Bull's  side,  while  the  Swede  rather  inclined  to 
Yankeedom.  The  two  Frenchmen  assumed  an  air  of 
the  loftiest  contempt  for  all  our  little  cliques  and  parties, 
declared  John  Bull  a  brute,  snapped  their  fingers  at  the 
American  eagle,  and  sang  "  vive  la  hag  atelier 

For  myself,  I  had  been  so  long  a  citizen  of  the  world, 
that  it  was  not  a  matter  of  much  diflBculty  to  steer 
my  course  safely  between  all  parties,  and  make  friends 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  249 

of  all.  I  had  been  hailed  as  a  *' lime-juicer,"  on  first 
coming  on  board,  having,  by  sailing  in  British  vessels  for 
the  previous  year,  contracted  many  of  the  ways  of  British 
.sailors.  I  took  care  to  proclaim  myself  an  American, 
however,  and  thus  was  naturally  counted  on  the  Yankee 
side  in  the  forecastle — a  side,  by  the  way,  which  was  very 
poorly  represented  among  us. 

The  only  other  American  sailor  on  board  was  a  poor, 
sick  fellow,  who  had  broken  down  his  constitution  under 
the  burning  suns  of  India,  and  was  now  making  his  way 
home  to  die.  He  hailed  from  the  State  of  New  York,  but 
had  not  been  home  for  many  years.  No  one  would  have 
taken  him  for  an  American,  so  thoroughly  had  his  long 
service  in  British  vessels  changed  him. 

For  three  years  previous  to  his  shipping  in  the  Ariadne 
(the  name  of  the  vessel  in  which  we  now  were) ,  he  had 
been  in  the  East  India  Company's  service,  forming,  the 
greater  part  of  that  time,  one  of  the  crew  of  a  small 
steamer  which  plied  on  the  Indus,  bearing  dispatches  to 
and  from  the  then  scene  of  war  in  Sinde  and  the  Punjaub. 
He  had  finally  fallen  sick,  and  was  sent  to  Bombay,  where 
he  partly  recovered,  was  discharged  from  the  hospital  and 
service,  and  shipped  in  the  Ariadne,  determined  to  go 
home. 

His  disease,  the  dysentery,  still  hung  upon  him,  and  he 
was  scarcely  able  to  walk  about  when  I  came  on  board. 
Although  we  were  by  this  means  one  hand  short,  in 
a  crew  that  was  small  enough  when  complete,  our  sick 
shipmate  was  carefully  attended,  and  his  condition  made 
as  easy  as  possible  in  a  dark  and  contracted  forecastle. 


250  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

There  is  but  little  comfort  for  an  invalid  on  board  a 
merchant  vessel.  So  little  space  is  provided  for  the  crew 
that  it  is  impossible  to  give  to  the  sufferer  a  separate 
apartment.  Day  after  day,  he  must  lie  in  his  berth,  in 
the  crowded  forecastle,  aroused  at  regular  intervals  by  the 
noise  of  the  changing  watches,  listening  languidly  to  the 
gay  and  careless  laugh  of  his  more  fortunate  shipmates, 
and  by  the  constant  presence  of  their  stalwart  forms, 
forced  to  feel  with  treble  keenness  the  helplessness  to  which 
he  is  reduced.  He  receives  but  little  attendance,  for  his 
fellows  have  but  little  time  they  can  call  their  own ;  and, 
although  all  is  meant  kindly,  no  amount  of  good  feeling 
can  make  up  to  him  the  comforts  which  his  fevered  body 
misses. 

Poor  George,  who  was  sick  nearly  all  the  way  home, 
seemed  to  care  only  to  live  to  reach  that  home.  To  see 
once  more  the  spot  whence  he  had  started  out,  many  years 
ago — to  die  in  the  cottage  where  he  first  saw  light,  and 
have  his  remains  laid  in  the  little  church-yard  where,  in 
childhood,  he  had  played — this  seemed  now  the  only 
desire  of  his  heart.  I  trust  it  was  granted  him.  We 
saw  him  safely  to  the  cars  when  we  were  discharged  in 
Boston — beyond  that,  I  know  naught  of  him. 

He  had  made  some  singular  experiences  in  his  lifetime. 
Most  of  his  sailing  had  been  in  English  vessels,  in  the 
East  Indies.  There  was  scarce  a  port  in  the  Indies  which 
he  had  not  visited,  and  of  which  he  had  not  some  story 
to  tell.  He  loved  to  beguile  his  loneliness  by  yarning, 
when  he  could  get  auditors ;  and  I  spent  many  hours  of 
my  watch  below,  sitting  upon  the  edge  of  his  berth 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  251 

listening  to  the  experience  of  one  who  had  started  to  sea 
with  just  such  ideas  as  I  still  entertained,  and  who  was 
now  returning  to  probably  a  desolate  home,  a  wreck,  fit 
only  to  die,  and  hoping  for  nothing  better  than  the  privi- 
lege of  dying  among  his  kindred. 

There  was  but  one  man  in  the  forecastle  whose  yams 
could  rival  sick  George's.  This  was  a  growling  English- 
man, who  presumed  on  his  white  locks  and  wrinkled  face, 
to  force  upon  us  such  unconscionable  stories  that  he,  in  a 
very  short  time,  became  the  but  of  every  one's  jokes. 
George's  yarns  were  listened  to  with  interest  and  respect, 
because  we  could  depend  on  what  he  said.  There  was  the 
evidence  of  truth  about  him.  But  old  Fred  assumed 
such  a  braggadocio  air  with  his  interminable  tales  that 
no  one  would  believe  him. 

We  could  not  mention  a  strange  place,  but  Fred  would 
at  once  shout,  *'  Yes,  I  know  all  about  that ;  I  was  there, 
in  such  a  ship,"  the  Amelia,  the  Augusta,  the  Arabella, 
or  whatever  name  happened  to  be  uppermost  in  his  mind* 
He  pretended  to  know  everything,  about  wind,  weather, 
and  the  world  in  general.  He  was,  in  short,  a  kind  of 
self-constituted  Solomon-in-ordinary  to  the  crew;  a  fel- 
low of  whose  advice  you  could  not  rid  yourself,  be  you 
ever  so  uncommunicative. 

By  his  undesired  interference  in  everybody's  stories,  he 
broke  up  all  yarning  in  the  forecastle.  Not  one  of  us  but 
was  afraid  to  mention  an  adventure,  or  speak  of  a  foreign 
place,  knowing  that  master  Fred  would  at  once  take  the 
wind  out  of  our  sails,  by  some  tougher  yarn  than  any  one 
else  cared  about  spinning. 


262  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

At  last  several  of  us  fell  upon  a  plan  to  silence  him, 
which  proved  as  effectual  as  we  hoped.  He  was  ever 
ready  to  yarn  it.  We  therefore  seated  ourselves  around 
him  one  Sunday  afternoon,  and  commenced  catechising 
him. 

"  Were  you  ever  in  Canton,  Fred  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  went  there  fifteen  years  ago  in  the  Wind- 
sor Castle,  a  Company  vessel." 

"  How  long  were  you  on  the  voyage?" 

*'  We  sailed  from  London  to  Canton,  thence  to  Calcut- 
ta, and  back  to  Gravesend,  in  eighteen  months." 

One  of  the  conspirators,  with  a  piece  of  chalk,  slily 
marked  on  the  back  of  a  chest,  "  London  to  Canton  and 
Calcutta  and  back,  eighteen  months." 

Another  now  said,  "  Where  did  you  board  when  you 
were  in  Sydney,  Fred?" 

The  old  fellow  went  into  a  long  dissertation  on 
Colonial  life,  spoke  of  having  been  cattle  tending,  hav- 
ing sailed  out  of  Sydney  for  a  number  of  years,  and  at 
last  when  pressed  to  mention  the  exact  number,  said, 
after  an  effort  at  recollection,  "  about  twelve  years  he 
had  spent  in  the  colony  of  New  South  Wales." 

In  like  manner  we  successively  drew  him  out  concern- 
ing all  the  different  parts  of  the  world  in  which  any  of 
us  had  ever  been,  leading  him  to  give  us  the  time  spent 
in  each,  or  on  each  voyage  thither  and  back. 

Fred  was  in  high  spirits  at  such  a  chance  to  yarn  it  to 
us  youngsters,  while  we  had  difficulty  in  keeping  our 
faces  straight  enough  to  carry  out  the  joke.  Our  exam- 
ination was  continued  nearly  three  hours,  when  Fred, 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  253 

having  just  been  tempted  into  a  most  barefaced  lie,  one 
of  his  persecutors  broke  out  on  him :  -'  Why,  you  old 
swindler,  you  outrageous  old  heathen,  just  look  here," 
pointing  to  his  running  account  on  the  chest,  "  if  all  you 
have  told  us  were  true,  as  you  so  solemnly  swear,  you 
would  be  just  one  hundred  and  fifty-six  years  and  ten 
months  old.    Now  go  on  deck,  and  be  ashamed  of  yourself." 

The  old  fellow  looked  daggers  at  us,  who  were  enjoying 
the  scene  hugely,  and  left  us,  muttering  something  about 
'*  a  parcel  of  saucy  boys,  who  had  no  respect  for  grey 
hairs." 

But  from  that  time  we  were  troubled  no  more  with 
Fred's  yarns. 

We  had  a  fine  passage  to  Eio  de  Janeiro ;  although  we 
passed  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  in  the  dead  of  winter,  we 
met  with  no  very  severe  storm.  This  was  the  third  time 
I  had  doubled  the  Cape,  each  time  in  the  winter  season, 
or  during  the  period  of  short  days. 

We  arrived  in  due  time,  and  without  any  noteworthy 
occurrence,  in  the  harbor  of  Eio.  The  tall  sugar-loaf, 
the  many  curiously  shaped  peaks,  towering  on  all  sides 
toward  the  sky,  and  the  two  white  forts  at  the  harbor's 
mouth,  seemed  to  me  like  old  acquaintances.  As  we 
cast  anchor  in  the  midst  of  a  dense  crowd  of  merchant 
vessels,  of  all  nations,  I  recollected  how  much,  on  my  first 
visit  to  this  place,  I  had  envied  the  merchant  sailors 
their  comparative  freedom.  This  time,  I  thought,  I  will 
take  a  cruise  on  shore,  long  enough  to  make  up  for  my 
former  deprivations. 

But  this  time,  too,  I  was  destined  to  disappointment. 


254:  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

It  happened  to  be  a  season  when  the  Brazilian  navy  was 
in  urgent  need  of  men,  and  press-gangs  were  on  the 
watch  either  to  entice  away,  or,  in  default  of  that,  to 
carry  off  by  main  force,  all  sailors  on  whom  they  could 
lay  their  clutches.  I  had  then  a  shipmate  in  that  ser- 
vice, who  had  been  carried  off  in  such  manner,  and  was 
not  at  all  desirous  of  sharing  his  fate.  I  did  not  ven- 
ture, therefore,  any  farther  than  the  palace  stairs,  the 
usual  landing  place  for  boats. 

Neither  had  we  much  time  to  spend  on  shore.  Al- 
ready on  the  second  day  after  our  arrival  in  port,  cargo 
began  to  come  along  side.  As  we  had  nothing  to  dis- 
charge, we  began  immediately  to  load  the  vessel,  a  ser- 
vice in  which  all  the  crew  were  engaged.  After  carrying 
heavy  coffee  bags  all  day,  in  a  hot  and  confined  hold,  one 
does  not  feel  much  like  wandering  about  on  shore  at 
night.  The  berth  is  the  most  tempting  place  after  sup- 
per ;  a  quiet  night's  rest  is  much  more  welcome  than  a 
ramble  about  a  foreign  place. 

In  a  fortnight  we  had  our  cargo  stowed,  and  were  ready 
to  sail  for  Boston. 

One  day,  while  we  were  yet  taking  in  cargo,  the  entire 
harbor  was  thrown  into  excitement  by  the  arrival  of  a 
British  vessel  of  war,  having  in  tow  a  prize,  taken  but  a 
little  way  to  the  north,  on  the  coast.  She  was  a  queer 
looking  craft  to  have  been  fitted  out  for  a  slaver.  She 
looked  for  all  the  world  like  a  genuine  New  Bedford 
whaler.  Boats  on  her  quarters,  little  topgallant  cross- 
trees  for  the  convenience  of  the  lookouts,  an  oil  streak 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  255 

kk  her  starboard  waist — everything  proclaimed  her  a 
"epouter." 

We  understood  that  she  had  been  fitted  out  in  this 
way  on  purpose  to  deceive  the  cruisers.  The  story  on 
shore  was  that  she  had  made  several  successful  voyages, 
no  one  suspecting  a  sleepy  old  blubber-hunter  of  carrying 
anything  contraband  of  law.  How  suspicion  was  first 
aroused  against  her,  we  did  not  hear.  Probably,  how- 
ever, by  some  one  in  the  confidence  of  the  owners  be- 
traying the  secret. 

But  we  saw  a  more  remarkable  specimen  of  a  slaver 
than  even  this  whaler.  This  was  a  Brazilian  built  craft, 
a  polacca  sloop,  having  only  one  huge  mast,  almost  as 
large  in  circumference  as  a  seventy-four's  mainmast.  She 
had  been  chased  by  a  British  cruiser  for  six  days  and 
nights,  before  she  was  caught.  She  was  now  a  mere 
wreck,  no  longer  seaworthy. 

Nothing  that  human  ingenuity  could  invent  to  add 
to  the  vessel's  speed,  had  been  spared  during  the  long 
chase.  The  rigging  was  all  eased  up,  giving  the  mast 
more  play — every  imaginable  sail  was  crowded  on — but 
all  in  vain.  At  last  they  resorted  to  the  desperate  expe- 
dient of  sawing  through  the  vessel's  rail  or  bulwark,  in 
three  places  on  each  side.  This  had  the  effect  of  mak- 
ing her  hull  as  limber  as  an  old  basket,  and  the  cruiser's 
men  said  it  for  a  while  increased  her  speed  materially. 

But  the  wind  died  away,  and  then  the  vessel  of  war 
sent  her  boats  after  her,  and  to  these  they  were  obliged 
to  surrender.  She  lay  now  a  hulk  in  the  harbor,  and 
was  to  be  shortly  broken  up. 


256  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

We  arrived  in  Eio  de  Janerio  on  the  loth  of  Septem- 
ber, having  been  just  sixt}^  days  in  coming  from  the 
Isle  of  France.  We  lay  eighteen  days  in  the  port  of 
Eio,  and  took  our  departure  thence  for  Boston  on  the  3d 
of  October. 

Sailing  for  a  northern  port  so  late  in  the  season,  we 
East  Indiamen  were  considerably  alarmed  at  the  pros- 
pect of  meeting  with  cold  weather  on  the  American 
coast.  We  industriously  patched  up  old  jackets,  and 
flannels,  tarred  our  sea-boots,  and  darned  up  old  stock- 
ings, endeavoring  to  make  as  good  provision  as  possible 
for  that  which  we  knew  was  in  store  for  us. 

To  one  who  has  been  sailing  for  some  years  in  a 
warm  climate,  a  sudden  approach  to  the  cold  of  north- 
ern latitudes  is  as  disagreeable  an  incident  as  can  well 
happen.  My  warm  clothes  had  lain  so  long,  unused,  in 
my  chest,  that  half  of  them  were  no  longer  fit  to  wear, 
and  I  had  enough  to  do  at  tailoring,  all  the  passage,  in 
order  to  fit  myself  out  for  cold  weather,  which  we  were 
now  approaching. 

We  had  a  pleasant  passage,  until  we  began  to  draw 
near  the  American  coast.  When  about  abreast  of  the 
Island  of  Nantucket,  but  yet  some  distance  from  the 
land,  the  wind  hauled  to  the  north-east,  and  we  ran 
into  Boston  Bay  amid  such  a  pelting  storm  of  hail,  sleet, 
rain,  and  wind,  as  none  of  us  had  experienced  for  some 
time.  Happily,  a  north-easter  is  a  fair  wind  for  home- 
ward-bounders, when  they  have  got  as  far  on  their 
passage  as  had  we,  and  we  were  not  therefore  exposed 
for  a  long  time  to  the  storm.     W^e  arrived  iu  Boston 


THE     MERCHANT     VESSEL.  257 

harbor  on  the  18  th  of  November.  It  was  still  storming 
wildly  outside,  and  no  one  could  have  felt  more  strongly 
than  ourselves  the  comfort  of  having  brought  our  ship 
safely  into  a  haven.  We  made  haste  to  secure  her  to  the 
wharf;  then  took  out  our  effects,  and  departed  for  our  dif- 
ferent boarding  housea 


17 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Hard  Times  for  Sailors — Anxiety  to  escape  the  Winter — Boston 
to  Bangor — Sail  for  Demarara — A  Down  East  Barque — Her 
Captain  and  Mate —A  Family  Arrangement— Arrival  at  De- 
marara— Discharge  Cargo — Sail  for  Buen  Ayre. 

I  PROCEEDED  to  luj  former  abiding  place,  the  Sailor's 
Home,  where  I  enjoyed  that  night  the  sweetest  sleep 
that  had  fallen  to  my  experience  for  a  long  time.  The 
following  day  w^e  w  ere  paid  off.  I  had  a  little  over  forty 
dollars  due  me.  My  first  act  was  one  which  every  sailor 
makes  a  primary  consideration,  namely,  to  fill  up  my  old 
seachest  with  good  warm  clothes,  in  preparation  for  the 
inclement  weather  which  was  now  to  be  encountered. 

Common  opinion  ascribes  to  the  sailor  a  careless,  joy- 
ous disposition.  So  far  as  my  experience  extends,  it 
seems  to  me  there  is  nothing  farther  from  the  truth. 
The  man-of-w^ar's  man,  to  be  sure,  is  burdened  with  no 
cares,  and  he  fills  fully  the  idea  formed  of  the  genus  by 
the  shoresman.  His  jovial  good  nature  borrows  no 
trouble  of  the  future.  He  is  in  a  service  where  he  can 
rely  upon  being  properly  taken  care  of.  He  has  no  occa- 
sion to  take  thought  for  the  morrow.     His  labor  is  light, 

(258) 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  259 

Ids  pay  sure  and  sufficient,  and  his  responsibility  as  tri- 
fling as  can  be  imagined. 

Not  so  with  the  merchant  seaman.  His  voyages  are 
shorter,  and  he  is  therefore  oftener  under  the  necessity 
of  looking  out  for  a  new  berth.  His  toil  is  severe,  and 
many  parts  of  his  duty  throw  wearying  responsibilities 
upon  him.  His  pay  is  barely  sufficient  to  affi)rd  him  ne- 
cessary clothing,  and  defray  his  expenses  during  his  pe- 
riodical loitering  on  land.  And  he  is  no  sooner  on  shore 
than  he  feels  harrassed  by  the  necessity  of  hunting  up  a 
new  ship. 

Withal,  let  him  have  as  much  foresight  as  ever  falls 
to  the  share  of  a  sailor,  yet  he  can  not  always  choose  such 
voyages  as  he  would  like  most,  or  as  would  make  his  life 
easiest.  In  the  majority  of  cases,  he  is  forced  to  take  up 
with  the  first  chance  that  offers.  And  very  often,  all 
precautions  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding,  he  finds  him- 
self caught  in  winter  weather  upon  a  northern  coast,  and 
has  before  him  a  prospect  of  suffering  which  is  enough 
to  make  the  stoutest  heart  quail. 

So  it  was  with  me  at  this  time.  When  I  returned  to 
to  Boston  from  London,  I  determined  never  again  to  be 
caught  upon  the  American  coast  in  the  winter.  Yet  here 
I  was  now,  the  last  of  November  already  at  hand,  just 
come  ashore  from  an  India  voyage,  and  poorly  prepared 
to  face  the  storm  which  lay  between  me  and  a  more  gen- 
ial sky. 

I  will  not  say  that  my  heart  failed  me ;  but  I  felt 
much  troubled  at  the  thoughts  of  another  winter  pas- 


260  THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

"  The  times  "  in  Boston,  were  none  too  good.  Althougli 
shipping  was  brisk,  there  were  a  great  many  seamen 
ashore,  all  anxious  to  ship  themselves,  and  each  looking 
out  for  a  southern  voyage. 

I  had  several  offers  to  go  to  the  Mediterranean.  But, 
with  the  prospect  of  returning  to  the  United  States  in  the 
dead  of  winter,  I  would  not  go  there.  Some  offers  there 
were,  too,  of  voyages  to  the  West  Indies,  but  with  a  simi- 
lar drawback,  of  being  gone  about  three  months,  and 
returning  to  the  coast  in  February  or  March. 

I  desired  to  escape  the  entire  winter,  and  for  this  pur- 
pose it  was  necessary  to  go  upon  a  voyage  to  last  at  least 
six  months.  But  no  vessel  was  just  then  fitting  out  upon 
such  a  trip  ;  or  if  there  was,  her  crew  was  engaged  several 
months  before  hand,  and  all  chances  in  her  long  ago 
filled  up. 

I  wandered  about  the  shipping  of&ces  for  more  than  a 
week,  attempting  to  suit  myself,  but  ineffectually.  At 
last,  on  walking  into  an  office  one  morning,  a  gentleman 
talking  to  the  shipping-master,  asked  me  if  I  would  not 
go  *'  Down  East." 

*'  How  far  ?"  asked  1. 

"  To  Bangor." 

**  Where  is  the  vessel  to  go,  from  there?" 

"A  fine  voyage ;  she  goes  to  Demarara,  thence  to  Buen 
Ayre,  and  return  to  New  Orleans  with  a  cargo  of  salt." 

**  That  will  cheat  the  winter,  my  lad,"  remarked  the 
shipper. 

"  She  is  the  finest  craft  that  ever  sailed  from  Down 
East,  and  her  captain  and  mate  are  gentlemen,"  added 


THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL.  261 

the  one  who  had  first  spoken.  "  You  will  have  fine 
times." 

I  did  not  much  like  the  idea  of  going  to  Bangor,  where 
winter  had  already  set  in  in  full  force ;  but  on  considering 
that  so  fair  looking  a  chance  might  not  offer  again,  1  con- 
cluded to  accept. 

On  signifying  as  much  to  the  shipper,  he  produced  the 
shipping  papers,  and  I  signed  my  name  to  the  articles  of 
the  good  barque  Swain,  whereof  John  Cutter  was  master, 
*'  or  whoever  shall  go  master  thereof,"  to  proceed  on  a 
voyage  from  Bangor  to  Georgetown,  Demarara,  thence  to 
the  island  of  Buen  Ayre,  and  return  to  New  Orleans. 

*'  She's  a  chartered  vessel,  my  lad,  so  you  may  rely  upon 
her  going  the  voyage,"  said  the  shipper,  as  I  hesitated  to 
write  my  name. 

This  additional  security  decided  me  fully,  and  I  prom- 
ised to  be  ready  to  go  to  Bangor  by  that  evening's  boat. 

It  not  unfrequently  happens  that  vessels  going  to  a 
port,  or  on  a  voyage,  not  liked  by  seamen,  ship  crews  under 
false  pretenses — that  is,  the  articles  declare  the  ship  to 
be  going  to  one  place,  when  she  is  going  to  another.  For 
instance,  I  shipped  once  to  go  to  New  Orleans,  when  the 
captain  knew  full  well  that  he  was  about  to  proceed  direct 
to  Mobile.  So  it  happens  in  innumerable  cases.  It  is, 
therefore,  counted  a  privilege  when  one  can  secure  a  berth 
in  a  vessel  that  is  chartered  for  the  voyage,  as  there  is 
then  a  tolerable  certainty  that  all  the  conditions  of  the 
shipping  agreement  will  be  fulfilled. 

Before  I  left  the  shipping  office,  I  obtained  from  the 
person  who  was  so  active  in  getting  me  to  ship,  a  full  and 


262  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

particular  account  of  the  vessel  in  which  I  was  to  go,  and 
of  her  captain. 

The  barque  was  said  to  be  about  three  years  old,  in" 
excellent  order,  alow  and  aloft,  did  not  leak  a  drop,  and 
had  a  splendid  fit  out. 

As  her  outward  cargo  was  to  be  lumber,  I  was  particu- 
lar to  inquire  as  to  her  carrying  a  deck-load,  but  was 
assured  that  she  would  not. 

"All  her  cargo  is  in  the  hold." 

The  captain  was  said  to  be  a  fine,  good-natured  down- 
easter,  who  would  see  that  his  crew  were  made  comfort- 
able. 

Of  all  this,  of  course,  I  hoisted  in  only  a  very  moderate 
portion,  leaving  the  balance  as  something  to  be  "  told  to 
the  marines."  Yet  I  was  glad  to  revel,  if  in  imagination 
only,  in  the  prospect  of  a  comfortable  ship  and  a  good 
voyage. 

As  our  ship  and  voyage  proved  so  decidedly  the  reverse 
of  what  was  described  to  me,  it  may  be  well  here  to  state, 
for  the  benefit  of  the  uninitiated  reader,  that  there  are 
good  vessels  "  Down  East " — in  Maine — and  that  some 
of  the  finest  men  that  ever  walked  a  quarter-deck  hail 
from  there. 

I  was  the  last  man  that  shipped.  The  vessel  was  to 
carry  six  hands,  three  of  whom,  it  was  said,  were  already 
in  Bangor,  while  the  other  three  of  us  were  going  on  by 
that  evening's  steamer.  I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  recognize 
in  the  other  two,  old  shipmates,  and  we  three  whiled  away 
the  passage  by  reminiscences  of  past  times,  and  plans  for 
the  future. 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  263 

Steaming  all  night,  we  awoke  next  morning  in  the 
Penobscot  river,  and  by  noon  arrived  at  Frankfort,  a  place 
about  fifteen  miles  below  Bangor.  Here,  our  conductor — 
who,  by  the  way,  was  the  Express  agent,  to  whom  we  had 
been  consigned,  I  suppose,  as  so  many  parcels,  '*  contents 
unknown  " — was  hailed  by  a  raw-boned  down-easter,  who 
proved  to  be  our  new  captain. 

He  had  brought  his  vessel  down  from  Bangor,  to  prevent 
her  being  frozen  up.  We  therefore  got  on  shore  with  our 
baggage,  and  proceeded,  with  our  worthy  captain,  to  take 
a  look  at  the  ship.  He  pointed  out  to  us  her  masts,  as 
she  lay,  the  outside  vessel  in  a  tier,  and  hastily  giving  us 
directions  how  to  get  on  board,  left  us,  to  hunt  up  the 
balance  of  his  men,  being  anxious  to  start  out  imme- 
diately. 

Leaving  our  baggage  on  the  wharf,  we  proceeded  on 
board  to  make  a  preliminary  inspection  of  the  craft.  She 
proved  to  be  a  much  older  looking  vessel  than  she  had 
been  represented,  and  had  on  a  deck-load  at  least  ten  feet 
high.     So  far,  she  was  not  at  all  satisfactory  to  us. 

One  of  my  shipmates  proposed  to  refuse  to  go  in  her 
To  this,  I  objected ;  I  had  signed  the  articles,  had  taken 
my  month's  advance,  and  laid  out  a  portion  of  it,  and 
I  now  felt  that  I  ought  to  stick  to  my  bargain  at  all 
hazards. 

My  determination  overruled  the  other  two,  and  we 
brought  on  board  our  chests  and  hammocks. 

Having  procured  from  the  second  mate  the  key  of  the 
forecastle,  we  proceeded  to  install  ourselves  in  the  dark 
hole  which  was  to  be  for  some  time  our  home.     I  went 


264  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL, 

below  to  receive  the  luggage.  Striking  a  light,  that  I 
might  see  where  to  place  our  chests,  I  found  it  would  be 
first  necessary  to  remove  on  deck  a  mass  of  running  rig- 
ging, studd'n-sail  gear,  etc.,  which  had  been  thrown  down 
there  for  safe  keeping. 

After  getting  rid  of  this,  I  found  the  deck  or  floor 
covered  with  chips,  sawdust,  and  ice,  to  the  depth  of 
several  inches.  I  began,  by  this  time,  to  wish  that  I  had 
not  come  to  Bangor. 

But,  what  was  my  astonishment  when,  on  looking  for- 
ward, toward  what  are  called  the  breast  hooks,  being  the 
most  forward  portion  of  the  bows,  inside,  I  beheld  there 
a  solid  mass  of  ice,  which  proved  to  be  about  three  feet 
thick,  and  extended  from  the  deck  to  the  ceiling  overhead, 
nearly  five  feet  high. 

"  Send  down  your  chests,  boys,"  shouted  I,  in  despera- 
tion, fearing  that  if  either  of  the  others  discovered  the 
ice  before  their  baggage  came  down,  they  would  utterly 
refuse  to  go  in  the  vessel. 

I  placed  the  chests  as  best  I  could  upon  the  dirt  and 
ice,  flung  the  bedding  into  the  berths,  as  it  was  handed 
down,  then  replaced  the  forecastle  ladder,  and  invited  my 
two  friends  to  walk  down  and  inspect  the  premises.  With 
curses  both  loud  and  deep,  they  beheld  the  dirty  and 
miserable  hole  which  was  to  be  our  abode. 

In  truth,  I  was  myself  somewhat  staggered  in  my  re- 
solution of  going  in  the  vessel,  as  I  examined  more  closely 
into  the  accommodations — or,  it  should  be  said,  of  lack 
of  accommodations.  But  a  little  calm  consideration  con- 
vinced me  that  there  was  no  other  course  open  to  me. 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  265 

We  had  received  sixteen  dollars,  advance,  with  the 
understanding  that  if  we  went  to  sea  in  the  ship  it  would 
be  due,  but  if  we  did  not  go,  it  would  have  to  be  refunded 
to  the  shipper  by  the  people  who  had  endorsed  for  us — 
the  boarding-house  keepers,  namely.  It  would  therefore 
have  been  a  species  of  dishonesty  in  us  now  to  back  out, 
especially  as  we  were  not  prepared  to  return  the  money. 

Bill  and  Tom,  my  shipmates,  spoke  of  immediately  taking 
their  effects  out  of  the  vessel.  They  would  stand  nothing 
of  this  kind. 

I  had  nothing  to  urge  against  this  course,  and  contented 
myself  with  saying  that  I  should  feel  bound  to  go  in  her, 
if  she  was  to  sink  the  first  night  out.  After  endeavoring 
in  vain  to  shake  my  resolution,  they  at  last  concluded 
also  to  remain,  '*  as  it  would  not  do  to  leave  an  old  ship- 
mate in  the  lurch." 

But  we  had  not  seen  the  worst  even  yet.  I  had  simply 
thrown  the  bundles  of  bedding  into  the  berths.  When 
we  began  to  spread  out  our  beds,  we  found  in  the  lower 
berths,  instead  of  berth-boards,  solid  blocks  of  ice,  two 
feet  thick ;  and  upon  one  of  these  I  spread  out  my  bedding, 
and  here  slept,  or  tried  to  sleep,  until  the  warm  weather 
began  to  melt  my  resting  place.  By  that  time  my 
mattress  was  just  fit  to  throw  overboard,  and  for  the 
balance  of  the  voyage  I  either  slept  upon  deck,  wrapped 
up  in  a  blanket,  or  made  use  of  another's  bed. 

All  this  ice  had  come  into  the  vessel  in  this  wise :  As 
before  mentioned,  she  was  lumber-loaded.  The  cargo  had 
been  taken  in  through  a  bow-port,  which  opened  into  the 
forecastle,  just  on  a  level  with  the  water's  edge.     Thus 


266  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

the  boards  and  joists  composing  the  loading  were  run  out 
of  the  water  alongside,  through  our  miserable  habitation, 
into  the  hold,  dripping  all  the  way.  The  water  froze 
wherever  it  fell,  and  the  lumber-men  no  doubt  threw  more 
down  on  top  of  it,  to  make  themselves  a  convenient  slide 
for  the  heavier  pieces  of  wood.  Thus  the  entire  forecastle 
was  full  of  ice. 

The  presence  of  such  a  mass  of  frozen  water,  with  the 
dampness  arising  from  the  wet  lumber  stowed  in  the  hold, 
made  staying  below  almost  unbearable.  Yet  it  was  a 
little  better  than  on  deck,  inasmuch  as  there  was  some 
shelter  from  the  rough  winds. 

When  the  captain  came  on  board  we  demanded  a  stove. 
He  granted  us  one,  but  neglected  to  tell  us,  until  we  had 
got  some  distance  down  the  river,  that  there  was  no  pipe 
on  board  for  it.  The  stove,  therefore,  was  of  no  use.  It 
was  altogether  out  of  the  question  to  keep  warm,  or  even 
moderately  comfortable.  Our  only  consolation  was,  that 
with  a  fair  wind,  a  few  days  would  see  us  in  warm 
weather. 

Our  crew  was  to  have  numbered  six ;  but  on  looking 
for  the  remaining  three,  only  one  was  forthcoming.  The 
other  two  had  changed  their  mind,  and  found  it  more 
comfortable  to  remain  on  shore. 

**  Never  mind  them,  lads,"  said  the  captain,  *'  I  am 
going  to  come  to  at  Thomaston,  and  there  we  can  get  two 
others  without  trouble." 

I  had  myself  refused  to  go  to  sea  short-handed,  which 
drew  from  him  this  remark. 

Accordingly,  we  agreed  to  take  the  vessel  to  Thomaston, 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  267 

which  lies  at  the  mouth  of  the  Penobscot.  We  came  to 
anchor  at  some  distance  from  the  land,  took  the  captain 
ashore,  and  returned  on  board.  He  was  to  come  off  next 
morning,  and  promised  faithfully  to  bring  off  two  addi- 
tional men. 

Next  moniing  came,  and  so  did  our  captain — but  no 
men.  He  talked  very  fairly,  however;  said  he  could 
find  no  one  that  would  consent  to  go  with  him — they 
knew  his  character  too  well,  probably,  as  this  w  as  his 
native  town — that  he  was  willing  to  help,  and  would 
see  that  the  mates  did  their  share ;  and  that  when  we 
once  got  into  warm  weather  we  would  get  along  finely. 

Sailors  are  easily  won  over  by  fair  words,  and  it  did 
not  require  much  persuasion  to  make  us  get  under  weigh, 
and  put  out  to  sea.  The  mate  promised  to  hunt  up  the 
missing  stove-pipe  when  we  got  clear  of  the  land ;  and 
with  the  hope  of  having  a  fire  in  our  miserable  forecastle, 
we  worked  cheerfully..  For  my  part,  I  was  careless  of 
present  suffering,  while  there  was  a  prospect  of  running 
into  warm  weather,  and  was  eager  to  be  underweigh, 
decreasing  the  distance  between  ourselves  and  the  West 
Indies. 

We  set  sail  with  a  stiff  northwester,  before  which  the 
old  craft  rolled  off  to  the  southward  at  no  slow  rate. 
When  watehes  were  chosen,  I  was  put  with  the  second 
mates',  and  found  my  watchmate  to  be  the  young  man 
who  had  come  on  board  at  Frankfort — a  fellow  who  was 
now  making  his  first  voyage  to  sea.  He  could  not  furl  a 
royal,  could  not  steer,  did  not  even  know  how  to  pull  on 
•a  rope  properly. 


268  THE    MERCHANT    YESSBL. 

Such  a  fellow  was  worse  than  useless  on  board  an 
under-manned  vessel  like  ours.  Of  course  he  was  not  to 
be  trusted  to  steer  the  barque,  in  a  breeze  such  as  now 
favored  us.  My  first  trick  at  the  wheel  lasted  four  hours. 
And  for  many  succeeding  days  and  nights  I  was  forced  to 
steer  my  entire  watch  on  deck,  while  the  ship  was  running 
before  a  stiff  gale. 

But  it  was  as  well  to  be  at  the  wheel  as  at  the  pumps, 
which  was  now  the  alternative.  The  wretched  old  craft 
had  sprung  a  leak,  the  heavy  deck-load  straining  her 
timbers.  This  leak  was  not  very  serious,  but  unfortu- 
nately both  of  our  pumps  were  out  of  order,  and  the  water 
threatened  to  stand  five  or  six  feet  deep  in  the  hold  before 
we  could  get  them  to  work.  After  trying  in  vain  to  make 
use  of  them,  we  hauled  one  pump  on  deck,  and  with  a 
great  deal  of  trouble  and  hard  labor,  repaired  it. 

Happily  this  one  remained  in  tolerable  order.  Had  it 
not,  we  should  have  become  water-logged  in  a  short  time, 
as  the  other  pump,  while  being  hauled  up  for  the  purpose 
of  making  repairs  upon  it,  was  thrown  violently  against 
the  mainmast,  by  a  heavy  lurch  of  the  ship,  and  so  much 
injured  as  to  make  it  entirely  useless. 

In  stowing  the  deck-load,  no  regard  had  been  paid  to 
future  convenience.  The  space  about  the  pumps  was  so 
much  crowded,  that  pumping  was  made  doubly  laborious. 
We  would  work  there  all  night,  and  after  breakfast  uext 
morning  all  hands  would  turn  to,  and  by  dint  of  the 
severest  labor,  free  her  of  water  by  perhaps  ten  o'clock, 
when  the  watch  below  were  permitted  to  take  their 
needed  rest.     The  entire  afternoon  watch  was  spent  at 


THE    MERCHANT    VES8BL.  269 

the  pumps  in  like  manner,  and  by  sunset  we  were  tired 
and  worn  out,  and  but  ill  prepared  for  another  night's 
suffering,  in  wet  and  bitter  cold. 

The  barque  was  so  deeply  laden  that  the  seas  broke 
even  over  her  deck-load,  and  kept  us  continually  wet. 
And  worse  yet,  the  usual  shelter  from  wind  and  sea, 
afforded  by  a  ship's  bulwarks,  we  were  here  entirely 
deprived  of.  Perched  high  in  mid-air,  on  top  of  the  deck 
load,  the  biting  northwest  wind  blew  through  our  wet 
clothes,  and  threatened  to  congeal  the  very  marrow  in  our 
bones. 

This  state  of  things  happily  lasted  only  twelve  days. 
These  days  seemed  of  an  almost  interminable  length. 
There  was  no  possibility  of  resting  on  deck,  and  a  four 
hours'  trick  at  the  wheel  wonderfully  lengthens  a  watch, 
in  the  imagination  of  the  poor  victim,  as  any  one  who 
has  experienced  it  will  readily  grant. 

Below,  I  could  not  sleep.  There  was  a  chilling  and 
damp  air  in  the  forecastle,  caused  by  the  great  lumps  of 
ice  with  which  it  was  still  encumbered,  and  by  the  wet 
lumber  in  the  hold,  which  made  the  stay  below,  if 
possible,  worse  than  the  watch  on  deck.  I  still  had  my 
hammock  and  bedding  spread  upon  the  mass  of  ice  which 
half  filled  the  berth.  Here  I  tumbled  about  during  my 
watch  below,  vainly  endeavoring  to  sleep,  and  annoying 
my  watchmate  by  constant  grumbling.  For  the  first 
three  nights  out,  I  was  not  conscious  of  having  slept  at 
all.  After  that,  tired  nature  succumbed,  and  I  was  able 
to  sleep,  but  in  great  misery. 

Our  living,  meanwhile,  was  not  of  the  best.     Happily 


270  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

we  had  an  excellent  cook,  who  lost  no  opportunity  to  pro- 
vide something  good  for  us.  But  the  captain  and  his  brother, 
the  mate,  kept  a  sharp  eye  upon  the  provision  locker,  and 
took  care  that  "  the  sailors  should  not  live  too  well." 

It  was  not  until  we  got  to  sea,  that  we  became  aware 
of  the  fact,  that  the  vessel  was  a  "family  concern.'* 
The  captain  and  mate  were  brothers,  and  they  had  with 
them  a  lad,  another  brother,  who  was  now  making  his 
first  voyage,  preparatory  to  taking  the  berth  of  second 
mate,  when  he  grew  some  years  older  and  stouter.  This 
lad  was  "  in  everybody's  mess,  and  nobody's  watch."  He 
lived  in  the  cabin,  of  course,  but  spent  most  of  his  time 
in  the  cook's  galley,  finding  that  the  most  comfortable 
place  on  board,  during  the  cold  weather. 

The  mate  made  several  attempts  to  set  ''  Bob  "  as  a 
spy  upon  the  men  and  the  cook,  but  the  youngster 
despised  the  meanness,  and  as  he  invariably  told  us  of 
the  mate's  designs,  his  worthy  brother  was  forced  to  do 
his  own  spying. 

No  ship  is  dreaded  so  much  as  one  the  ofiicers  of  which 
are  relatives.  Jack  knows,  that  in  such  vessels  the  work 
is  always  harder,  and  the  treatment  worse,  than  in  any 
other.  Had  I  known  that  our  chief  officers  were  brothers, 
I  should  not  have  gone  in  the  vessel  under  any  consid- 
erations. It  was  a  source  of  continual  trouble  and 
difficulty  to  us.  With  a  captain  who  was  a  knave,  and 
a  mate  who  was  in  everything  his  subservient  tool,  we 
could  expect  no  peace.  Happily,  ''  Bob,"  the  younger 
brother,  was  an  impracticable,  and  for  very  mischief 
ranged  himself  on  the  side  of  "  the  men." 


THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL.  271 

The  vessel  was  a  remarkably  dull  sailer,  and  like  all 
such  she  steered  badly.  A  fast  sailing  ship  almost 
invariably  steers  well,  while  a  slow-going  old  tub  can 
scarcely  be  kept  within  three  points  of  her  course. 

From  what  I  have  said  of  our  condition,  on  deck  and 
below,  it  may  be  imagined  that  we  wished  for  nothing 
so  much  as  warmer  weather.  I  had  thought  that  three 
or  four  days  of  such  a  breeze  as  we  were  favored  with, 
would  bring  us  into  a  milder  atmosphere.  But  it  was 
full  a  fortnight  before  we  could  take  off  our  jackets,  or 
before  the  lumps  of  ice  in  the  forecastle  showed,  by  their 
dripping,  that  we  had  reached  a  more  temperate  clime. 

Words  cannot  describe  how  grateful  to  us  felt  the 
warm  beams  of  the  summer  sun,  how  delightful  looked 
the  first  dry  spot  upon  the  deck,  and  with  what  joy  we 
viewed  the  steam  arising  from  the  wet  planks,  an  evidence 
of  the  sun's  power.  One  needs  to  suffer  all  the  miseries 
which  had  fallen  to  our  share  since  leaving  Frankfort,  to 
appreciate  the  feelings  with  which  relief  from  them  is 
hailed. 

As  soon  as  the  weather  was  sufficiently  moderate  to 
allow  of  such  a  thing,  we  took  axes  into  the  forecastle, 
and  chopped  to  pieces  the  ice  still  remaining  there,  as  the 
speediest  means  of  ridding  ourselves  of  it.  My  mattress 
was  thrown  overboard,  as  was  that  of  another.  The 
remainder  of  my  bedding — that  is,  the  blankets — had 
nearly  followed,  but  a  thorough  washing  and  drying  pre- 
served them. 

The  sailor,  of  course,  does  not  encumber  himself  with 
sheets  and  pillows.     His  couch  is  composed  generally  of 


272  THE    MERCHANT     VESSEL. 

a  straw  bed,  and  two  or  three  thick  blankets.  His  pea- 
jacket  serves  him  for  a  pillow,  and  if  he  desires  to  sleep 
with  his  head  high,  he  places  his  sea-boots  under  the 
jacket.  At  sea  he  rolls  into  his  berth,  at  the  expiration 
of  his  watch  on  deck,  without  divesting  himself  of  aught 
except  his  huge  overcoat,  and  his  knife  and  belt,  and 
shoes.  Thus  he  is  prepared  to  "  turn  out "  at  a  moment's 
notice — a  thing  he  has  frequent  occasion  to  do. 

All  the  scrubbing  we  could  give  our  miserable  forecastle, 
would  not  make  it  habitable.  When  we  got  into  warm 
weather,  the  vapors  arising  from  the  lumber  in  the  hold, 
filled  everything  with  mold.  Our  clothes  were  rotting 
with  moisture,  which  penetrated  our  chests.  Matches 
kept  below  could  not  be  struck.  On  every  fine  day  we 
were  obliged  to  take  our  efiects  upon  deck,  to  keep  all  from 
spoiling.  Yet  we  had  to  sleep  in  this  noisome  hole,  for 
on  deck  there  was  no  place  fit  to  rest ;  and  besides,  had 
we  slept  upon  deck,  there  was  a  strong  probability  that 
we  would  be  called  to  give  a  pull  every  time  a  brace  or 
halyard  was  to  be  stirred. 

Much  ice  had  been  taken  in  with  the  lumber,  and  when 
it  now  began  to  grow  warm,  this  melted,  and  kept  us 
steadily  at  the  pumps  for  an  entire  week,  to  free  her  of  the 
accumulation  of  water.  By  the  time  this  was  done,  we 
were  in  settled  weather,  running  down  the  northeast 
trades,  and  each  day  diminishing  the  distance  between  us 
and  our  first  port. 

When  we  were  no  longer  busied  at  the  pumps,  we 
found  sufficient  to  do  about  the  rigging  and  sails.  The 
barque  was  old,  and  was,  besides,  so  meanly  kept,  that 


THE     MERCHANT     VESSEL.  273 

her  top  hamper  and  sails  were  a  vast  patch  work.  Almost 
every  day  something  was  giving  way,  and  then,  make  a 
splice,  or  patch  it  up  in  some  way,  was  the  word.  Any- 
thing to  prevent  actual  expenditure.  By  dint  of  continual 
labor,  however,  we  had  her  in  tolerable  condition  by  the 
time  we  got  to  Demarara. 

It  was  on  the  thirty-second  day  out  that  we  made  the 
land.  We  had  been  already  for  two  days  sailing  over 
the  immense  flats  which  extend  to  a  distance  of  more 
than  a  hundred  miles  seaward  from  this  part  of  the 
South  American  coast.  On  these  flats  the  water  is 
nowhere  more  than  ten  fathoms  (sixty  feet)  deep,  altho' 
the  land  is  entirely  out  of  sight,  and  one  is  as  much  at 
sea  as  anywhere  among  the  West  India  Islands. 

W^e  had  been  steering  half  a  dozen  different  courses 
during  the  day  (it  was  a  Sabbath) ,  to  oppose  the  various 
currents  which  set  here  along  shore,  and  change  their 
direction  with  the  varying  shapes  of  the  land.  The  labor 
of  bending  cables,  getting  the  anchors  off  the  bows,  and 
making  ready  for  entering  port,  which  in  most  ships 
would  have  been  done  on  the  preceding  Saturday,  had 
been  carefully  preserved  for  a  Sabbath  afternoon's  work. 
We  were  yet  busied  about  the  anchor,  when  the  captain, 
who  was  at  the  masthead  with  a  spy-glass,  raised  the 
land. 

The  coast  here  is  remarkably  low  and  marshy,  and 
visible  at  but  little  distance.  We  were  only  eight  miles 
from  the  nearest  point,  when  the  captain  first  saw  it.  AVe 
immediately  shaped  our  course  for  the  river's  mouth,  and 
by  dark  were  so  fortunate  as  to  receive  on  board  a  pilot, 
18 


274  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

a  black  fellow,  dressed  in  most  approved  white  duck,  but 
barefooted.  Under  his  guidance  the  vessel  was  taken  to 
the  entrance  of  the  river,  and  there  anchored,  just  out- 
side of  the  bar,  which  we  could  only  pass  at  high  water. 
At  sunrise,  when  the  tide  permitted,  we  sailed  up  the 
river,  abreast  of  the  town,  and  by  night  were  lying  along- 
side of  a  convenient  wharf  or  pier. 

Georgetown,  or  Stabrok,  which  last  is  its  Dutch  name, 
is  the  capital  and  chief  city  of  British  Guiana.  It  lies 
at  the  mouth  of  the  river  Demarary,  and  on  its  east 
bank.  It  is  a  regularly  laid  out  town.  Lying  upon  a 
marshy  piece  of  ground,  most  of  the  streets  are  inter- 
sected by  canals,  crossed  by  means  of  bridges.  It  was 
founded  by  the  Dutch,  to  whom  this  peculiarity  is 
owing.  Many  of  the  houses  are  finely  built,  and  most 
of  the  private  dwellings  are  surrounded  by  fine  gardens. 

The  merchants,  who  occupy  the  water-side,  have  in- 
troduced here  all  the  labor-saving  improvements  for 
which  Englishmen  are  noted.  Little  railways  run  from 
nearly  every  warehouse,  down  the  long  piers  to  the  ves- 
sels, to  facilitate  the  movement  of  the  huge  hogsheads 
of  sugar,  rum,  and  molasses,  which  form  the  staple  ex- 
ports of  the  colony.  These,  with  enormous  cranes  for 
hoisting  and  lowering,  ease  greatly  the  labors  of  the  sea- 
men in  getting  on  board  the  cargoes.  There  is  also  a 
line  of  railway  running  into  the  heart  of  the  sugar  coun- 
try, some  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles,  on  which  is 
transported  that  part  of  the  produce  which  does  not  find 
its  way  down  the  river  in  lighters. 

The  principal   inhabitants  are   English.      The  most 


THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL.  275 

numerous  are  the  negroes,  an  idle  and  doless  race  as  ever 
was  seen,  but  who  live  in  this  mild  climate  a  happy,  if 
useless  existence.  Those  of  them  who  live  in  the  town, 
wander  about  the  wharves,  taking  occasionally  a  day's 
work  when  they  need  an  article  of  clothing,  but  other- 
wise utterly  idle,  and  lost  in  vice.  Of  course  there  are 
some  worthy  exceptions,  but  such  is  their  general  condi- 
tion. Fruits  of  all  kinds  are  cheap,  and  the  climate  and 
soil  are  so  favorable  that  they  can  raise  the  little  they 
need  with  the  smallest  possible  amount  of  work.  And 
as  a  class  they  seem  to  have  but  little  ambition. 

As  the  negroes  will  not  work,  the  colonial  government 
imports  laborers.  Some  of  these  are  Portuguese,  brought 
from  the  Island  of  Madeira  and  the  Canaries.  But  the 
greater  portion  are  Hindoos.  These  wretched  people  are 
induced  to  apprentice  themselves  for  a  period  of  seven 
years.  They  are  brought  by  shiploads,  annually,  from 
their  native  plains  to  this  sickly  country,  and  after  suf- 
fering all  the  horrors  of  a  one  hundred  days'  passage, 
huddled  together  in  a  crowded  hold,  are  on  their  arrival 
sent  out  to  the  plantations,  where  not  a  few  of  them  die 
from  the  exposure  and  severe  toil,  to  which  they  are  but 
little  used  in  their  own  country. 

If  their  own  tales  may  be  believed,  they  are  none  too 
well  treated.  The  lash  and  cowhide  are  not  unknown, 
and  they  are  driven  about  more  like  cattle  than  human 
beings.  Certain  it  is  that  not  a  few  of  them,  unable  to 
support  their  misery,  commit  suicide,  and  many  run  away 
into  the  wild  woods,  where  they  probably  perish  of  hun- 
ger and  exposure. 


276  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

From  inquiries  made  among  some  of  the  most  intelli- 
gent that  I  met  with,  I  learned  that  they  considered  the 
chances  of  ever  getting  back  to  their  homes  as  being  very 
small.  Their  wages  are  from  two  to  five  dollars  per 
month,  and  out  of  this  they  have  to  furnish  themselves 
clothing.  Thus  comparatively  few  of  them  are  ever  able 
to  get  together  a  sufficient  sum  to  carry  them  back — 
although  they  set  out  from  home  with  glowing  hopes  of 
returning,  at  the  expiration  of  their  apprenticeship,  in 
bettered  circumstances. 

But  few  of  the  Hindoos  are  found  in  the  town.  Here 
the  Portuguese  perform  most  of  the  manual  labor.  They 
are  a  turbulent  set,  and  hard  to  manage.  They  form  a 
separate  body,  and  have  regulations  among  themselves, 
to  which  each  one  is  forced  to  submit.  They  enjoy  a 
much  larger  share  of  liberty  than  the  poor  Hindoos,  being 
not  apprentices,  but  emigrants.  I  was  told  by  some  of 
them,  that  they  frequently  amass  a  considerable  sum  of 
money — five  or  six  hundred  dollars  being  thought  quite 
a  fortune — and  return  to  their  native  isles,  where,  on 
this  amount,  they  can  live  in  comfort  the  balance  of 
their  days. 

On  the  whole,  I  should  consider  Demarara  a  very 
undesirable  place  for  a  permanent  residence.  Its  marshy 
situation  makes  it  very  sickly.  The  yellow  fever  pre- 
vails all  the  year  round,  and  in  summer  sometimes  with 
great  violence.  Centipedes,  scorpions,  lizards,  and  snakes 
exist  in  tropical  abundance ;  and  mosquitos  darken  the 
air  with  their  swarms,  and  nearly  hide  the  light  of  th« 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  277 

sun.  It  is  almost  impossible  for  a  European  to  exist 
without  mosquito  bars,  after  nightfall. 

On  the  next  day  after  our  arrival,  we  began  to  dis- 
charge the  cargo.  I  here  practically  tested  the  efficacy  of 
strict  abstinence  from  ardent  spirits,  in  working  under  a 
tropical  sun.  The  heat  was  intense ;  in  fact,  I  think  I 
never  felt  a  more  powerful  sun.  In  discharging  the  lum- 
ber, it  was  necessary  for  two  men  to  work  upon  deck, 
while  the  second  mate,  with  the  other  two,  and  a  couple 
of  negroes  (when  these  could  be  gotten),  shoved  the 
planks  up  out  of  the  hold. 

I  was  offered  a  place  in  the  hold,  where  there  was 
complete  protection  from  the  sun  ;  but  as  my  shipmates 
were  less  used  to  the  tropics  than  myself,  I  preferred  to 
take  my  place  on  deck.  All  the  rest  drank  more, or  less 
of  rum,  the  prevailing  liquor  here.  I  was  warned  that, 
unless  I  also  imbibed  to  some  extent,  I  should  be  taken 
sick.  But  I  had  always  before,  when  placed  in  similar 
circumstances,  adhered  to  fresh  water,  and  determined, 
although  the  work  bade  fair  to  prove  more  exhausting 
than  I  had  before  experienced,  to  stick  to  temperance. 
And  I  found,  that  although  I  worked  in  the  sun,  while 
my  companions  had  a  constant  shade,  I  held  out  much 
better  than  they,  feeling  fresh  and  lively  when  they  com- 
plained  bitterly  of  exhaustion. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

The  Dragon's  Mouth — Buen  Ayre — Taking  in  Salt  —  The  Salt 
Pans — Beauty  of  the  Island,  and  the  Climate — Misery  of  the 
Laborers — Off  for  New  Orleans — Captain  attempts  to  Starve 
the  Crew — Tedious  Passage  —  Arrival  at  New  Orleans  —  A 
Sailor's  Law  Suit — Sail  for  New  York — Conclusion. 

Our  stay  in  Georgetown  was  only  two  weeks  long. 
The  last  plank  was  put  ashore  on  a  Monday,  and  next 
day  we  took  in  a  little  sand  ballast,  in  addition  to  that 
we  had  already  in,  and  set  sail  for  the  Island  of  Buen 
Ayre,  where  we  were  to  procure  our  cargo  of  salt. 

Our  passage  thither  would  have  been,  in  any  other  ves- 
sel, a  pleasure  trip.  We  were  six  days  underweigh,  sail- 
ing along  all  the  while  with  soft  and  light  breezes,  now 
on  one  quarter,  now  on  the  other,  as  we  changed  our 
course,  in  rounding  the  various  islands  which  lay  on  our 
way. 

On  the  second  day  out,  we  sailed  through  a  beautiful 
basin,  called  the  Dragon's  Mouth,  which  forms  the  pass- 
age between  the  British  Island  of  Trinidad  and  the 
Peninsula  of  Paria,  the  last  a  portion  of  the  mainland 
of  South  America.  It  is  interspersed  with  numerous 
(278) 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  279 

islets,  which  I  suppose  some  poetical  sailor  has  trans- 
formed into  the  dragon's  teeth,  in  allusion  to  the  dangers 
encountered  by  the  mariner  who  threads  his  way  among 
them. 

'  Before  we  left  Georgetown,  we  had  spoken  to  the  cap- 
tain about  laying  in  some  necessary  provisions,  which  he 
promised  to  do ;  but  he  neglected  the  matter — purposely 
or  through  drunkenness — and  we  were  no  sooner  out  of 
sight  of  land  than  the  mate  informed  the  cook  that  a 
very  short  allowance  of  beef,  and  no  pork,  with  a  sparing 
use  of  bread,  was  necessary  to  bring  us  safely  to  Buen 
Ay  re.  Hard  work  all  day,  with  short  allowance  of 
victuals,  soon  wears  men  down,  and  we  consequently  grew 
careless  at  night,  preferring  sleep  to  the  necessary  look- 
out. Our  captain  had  not  yet  gotten  sufficiently  over  his 
late  spree  to  keep  a  very  correct  reckoning.  In  conse- 
quence, on  the  third  night  out,  all  hands  were  called,  in  a 
hurry,  lo  tack  ship^off  shore.  Coming  on  deck,  we  found 
the  vessel  in  close  proximity  to  land.  Fifteen  minutes 
longer  on  her  prescribed  course  would  have  set  her 
ashore.  We  were  heartily  sorry  that  the  old  tub  had  not 
struck,  as  it  would  have  released  us  from  our  unpleasant 
situation.  But,  as  the  breeze  was  gentle,  she  was  easily 
worked  off  shore.  On  the  sixth  day,  we  reached  Buen 
Ayre,  without  meeting  with  any  farther  noteworthy  acci- 
dent on  our  way. 

Buen  Ayre,  or  Bon  Ayre  as  it  is  more  generally  called, 
at  least  by  seamen,  is  a  beautiful  little  islet  lying  off  the 
coast  of  Venezuela,  and  a  few  hours'  sail  east  of  the 
more  important  Island  of  Curacoa.     It  is  about  twenty 


^0  THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

miles  in  length,  the  average  breadth  not  being  more  than 
four  miles.  It  is  intersected  by  a  mountain  range,  of  no 
great  hight  however.  Lying  in  the  track  of  the  north- 
east trade  winds,  it  has  a  most  charming  climate.  The 
brilliant  sky,  pure  and  bracing  air,  and  the  clear  and 
beautiful  waters  of  the  sea  which  surrounds  it,  all  com 
bine  to  inspire  one  with  new  energies,  and  present  a  scene 
of  natural  beauty  which  is  unsurpassed  in  my  expe- 
rience. 

The  principal  article  of  export  (at  least  to  the  United 
States)  is  salt.  The  island  belongs  to  the  crown  of  Hol- 
land. I  understood  that  the  salt  pans,  together  with  the 
slaves  who  work  them,  who  are  also  the  property  of  the 
crown,  are  farmed  out  for  a  term  of  years  to  the  highest 
bidder,  thus  being  in  fact  worked  by  private  capital  and 
enterprise. 

The  other  most  valuable  product  of  the  island  is 
cochineal.  There  are  plantations  of  considerable  extent 
on  the  plains  inland,  where  the  bugs  which  when  pro- 
perly roasted  and  pulverized  form  the  valuable  cochineal 
of  commerce,  are  carefully  tended  by  slaves.  The  little 
animals  feed  upon  the  leaves  of  small  trees,  and  are 
shaken  down  at  regular  periods  into  sheets  held  below — 
then  prepared  and  sent  to  Holland,  where  they  finally 
come  into  the  regular  line  of  commerce. 

The  Dutch  are  proverbially  hard  masters.  I  could 
scarcely  believe  that  human  beings  could  so  badly  use 
their  fellow  creatures,  as  the  overseers  of  the  salt-works, 
here,  treat  the  poor  slaves  who  are  *'  in  the  contract." 

The  tanks,  or  pans,  occupy  a  portion  of  the  flat  beach. 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  281 

nearly  a  mile  in  extent.  They  are  square,  shallow  exca- 
vations in  the  ground,  their  bottom  lying  below  the  sur- 
face of  the  sea.  Each  large  pan  commuuicates  with  the 
water  by  a  trough  or  pipe,  which  being  opened,  it  flows 
in  until  it  finds  its  level.  It  is  then  shut  oflP,  and  the 
evaporation  begins.  The  salt  forms  in  beautiful  crystals, 
first  along  the  sides,  and  as  the  water  gets  lower,  along 
the  bottom.  When  a  pan  is  ready  for  working,  the 
slaves  are  turned  in,  and  gather  the  salt  into  sacks, 
which  they  transport  on  their  backs  to  a  convenient  place 
near  shore,  where  it  is  piled  until  quite  a  little  mountain 
is  built  up.  This  glistens  in  the  bright  sun-light  like  an 
immense  diamond. 

We  came  to  anchor  at  about  quarter  of  a  mile  from 
the  beach,  with  the  open  sea  behind  us.  There  is  no 
danger  of  a  storm,  and  but  little  surf — this  being  the 
lee  side — and  consequently  the  anchorage  is  considered 
very  good.  The  isle  has  but  one  small  harbor,  which  is 
not  used  by  ships  coming  hither  for  salt.  Immediately 
ahead  of  us,  on  the  shore,  lay  a  salt  hill,  as  high  as  our 
masthead,  part  of  which  was  to  be  our  cargo.  The  first 
thing  to  be  done  was  to  take  out  ballast.  This  lasted 
three  days.  It  was  dumped  overboard  alongside,  we 
slacking  out  cable,  once  in  a  while,  in  order  that  the 
bowlders  and  sand  should  not  fall  all  in  one  place,  and 
make  an  inconvenient  little  shoal. 

The  ballast  out  and  the  hold  swept  clean,  the  salt 
came  alongside.  It  was  brought  from  shore  in  large 
surf- boats,  by  the  slaves.  When  a  boat  came  alongside, 
the  bags  were  thrown  upon  a  stage,  from  the  stage  to  the 


282  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

deck,  then  a  toss  to  the  main-hatchway,  where  stood  one 
with  a  jacknife,  to  cut  the  string,  empty  the  contents 
into  the  hold,  and  fling  the  sack  back  into  the  boat.  In 
this  way  we  speedily  got  in  as  much  as  the  barque  would 
carry.  The  worst  of  the  labor  was  the  trimming,  in  the 
hold,  and  the  carrying  sacks  forward  and  aft  to  the 
hatches,  there  to  be  emptied.  Working  among  salt  is 
apt  to  produce  sores  upon  the  body.  We  had  been 
warned  that  it  was  necessary  to  bathe  at  least  once  a 
day,  and  to  put  on  clean  clothing  at  the  conclusion  of  the 
day's  work.  Those  of  us  who  acted  up  to  these  rules, 
were  not  troubled  with  salt  boils  ;  but  the  second  mate, 
who  was  an  Englishman,  and  had  all  a  British  sailor's 
aversion  to  water  in  any  shape,  thought  it  too  much 
trouble.  He  was  punished  for  his  heedlessness,  by  the 
appearance  of  numerous  painful  swellings  on  different 
portions  of  his  body. 

The  salt  intended  for  our  ship  was  measured  into 
sacks,  each  holding  a  bushel.  In  these  sacks  it  was  car- 
ried on  the  shoulders  of  men  and  women,  from  the  de- 
pository to  the  beach,  where  each  in  turn  laid  his  or  her 
load  into  the  boat,  brought  up  beyond  the  reach  of  the 
surf  for  that  purpose.  When  a  boat  was  laden,  all 
hands  took  hold  and  ran  her  into  the  water,  when  her 
regular  crew  hauled  her  alongside.  A  white  overseer 
superintended  the  operations  of  the  shore  gang.  He 
carried  a  long  and  heavy  rawhide  whip,  which  he  applied 
with  no  sparing  or  light  hand  to  the  naked  backs  of 
women  and  men,  if  they  did  not  trot  off  fast  enough 
with  their  heavy  burdens. 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  283 

The  slaves  work  from  six  to  six  (which  is  here  from 
daylight  to  dark) ,  having  an  intermission  of  two  hours, 
from  twelve  till  two,  wherein  to  eat  the  only  meal  they 
get  during  the  day.  The  state  of  semi-starvation  in 
which  these  poor  creatures  are  kept,  is  cruel  in  the  ex- 
treme. The  daily  allowance  of  food  to  each  working 
person  is  07ie  quart  of  unground  corn,  and  nothing 
besides.  This  allowance  I  saw  measured  out  to  them 
myself,  ere  I  could  believe  that  any  one  could  be  so  nig- 
ardly  as  to  force  working  men  and  women  to  exist  on  such 
a  mere  pittance.  When  their  day's  work  is  finished,  they 
retire  to  their  camp,  where  for  full  an  hour  they  are  engaged 
in  pounding  their  corn  in  rude  stone  mortars,  to  reduce  it 
to  the  consistence  of  very  coarse  meal.  This  is  the  work 
of  the  women.  The  men,  meanwhile,  gather  a  small 
quantity  of  wood,  and  when  ready  the  meal  is  mixed 
with  water,  and  boiled  in  a  pot  provided  for  the  purpose, 
until  it  is  a  quite  solid  mass.  This  mess  is  the  next 
day's  allowance.  Part  of  it  is  swallowed  on  rising  in 
the  morning,  the  balance  at  noon.  Supper  they  dare 
not  indulge  in,  as  their  portion  would  not  hold  out. 

Of  course,  they  know  not  what  it  is  to  have  enough  to 
eat.  They  are  actually  famished.  Parties  of  them  used 
to  fight  for  the  leavings  of  our  cabin  table,  and  fish- 
bones, potato  peelings,  slop  of  all  kinds,  were  voraciously 
devoured  by  them.  Poor  souls,  they  lost  no  occasion  to 
steal  victuals  that  happened  to  be  unwatched,  and  some 
of  them  were  always  prowling  about  the  galley,  looking 
for  a  prize.  We  often  connived  at  their  thefts ;  but  our 
stingy  captain  was  ever  upon  the  watch  to  catch  them  in 


284  THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

the  act.  He  saw  a  poor  fellow  making  off  with  a  small 
piece  of  beef  one  day,  and  catching  him,  called  the 
overseer,  who  happened  to  be  on  board.  The  wretched 
slave  was  at  once  ordered  to  lie  down  on  deck.  A  rag- 
ged shirt  was  first  stripped  off  his  back,  and  then,  with 
a  heavy  rope's-end,  he  received  fifty  lashes.  So  pleased 
was  our  skipper  at  witnessing  the  flogging  of  which  he 
was  the  occasion,  that  in  a  fit  of  liberality,  which  I  am 
sure  he  regretted  the  next  moment,  he  made  his  victim  a 
present  of  the  beef. 

The  slaves  are  allowed  by  the  king,  their  owner,  two 
suits — shirts  and  trowsers  for  the  men,  and  gowns  for 
for  the  females — per  annum,  but  no  hat  to  keep  off  the 
sun,  no  shoes  to  protect  the  feet  while  carrying  their  loadg 
over  the  sharp  coral  of  the  beach.  When  a  woman  has 
a  child,  she  is  allowed  three  months  to  nurse  and  take 
care  of  it.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time,  the  little  one 
is  consigned  to  the  care  of  other,  larger  children,  while  the 
mother  goes  to  work  in  the  gang,  and  is  expected  to  do 
as  hard  a  day's  work  as  any  of  the  rest. 

"VYe  left  for  New  Orleans  at  the  end  of  ten  days,  that 
space  of  time  having  sufficed  to  take  on  board  our  cargo 
of  salt.  The  captain  had  neglected  to  take  in  a  supply 
of  fresh  water  at  Demarara — where  he  would  have  had 
to  pay  for  it.  When  we  came  here,  we  found  the  water 
so  brackish  that  it  made  us  sick  to  drink  it.  Yet  we  took 
on  board  two  casks  of  it,  which  cost  two  dollars.  One 
cask  of  good  water  lasted  us  ten  days,  of  the  thirty  occu- 
pied by  our  passage  to  New  Orleans.  Then  we  were 
reduced  to  drinking  that  last  obtained. 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  285 

No  sooner  had  we  left  port  than  our  miserable  life 
recommenced.  Once  fairly  clear  of  the  land,  the  captain 
informed  all  hands  that  there  was  naught  left  of  our 
supply  of  provisions,  except  some  rice,  a  moderate  quan- 
tity of  bread,  and  beef.  On  this,  with  a  weekly  meal  of 
duff,  we  were  expected  to  subsist  to  the  end  of  the  voy- 
age. The  vessel  was  a  dull  sailer  under  any  circum- 
stances— but  deeply  laden  with  salt,  she  positively  did 
not  seem  to  go  ahead  at  all.  Three  or  four  knots  per 
hour  was  her  highest  speed.  Happily  she  did  not  leak 
sufficient  to  give  us  trouble  with  the  pumps. 

Our  mate,  who  had  never  before  been  in  a  '*  square- 
rigger,"  had  been  told  in  Demarara,  by  some  of  his 
acquaintance,  that,  in  such  vessels,  it  was  indispensable 
to  the  dignity  of  the  officers  to  keep  the  men  constantly 
at  work. 

"  The  worse  you  treat  them,  the  smarter  officer  you 
will  be." 

This  advice  he  now  put  in  practice.  Tliere  was  but 
little  necessary  work  to  be  done,  as  on  the  outward  pass- 
age we  had  succeeded  in  patching  the  rigging  and  sails 
wherever  they  needed  it.  So  the  poor  fellow  was  kept 
studying,  night  and  day,  what  he  should  set  **  the  men  " 
at  next.  Before  we  were  ten  days  out,  he  was  com- 
pletely at  the  end  of  his  limited  stock  of  sailorship,  and, 
as  he  had  not  sufficient  Yankee  ingenuity  to  make  a  spun- 
yam  winch,  all  hands  were  kept  up  to  braid  sinnet.  -  To 
have  kept  the  watch  on  deck  busy  at  this  would  have 

'^Sinnet  is  a  small  line,  braided  from  rope-yams,  the  minute 
Strands  of  which  a  rope  is  formed. 


286  THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

been  not  unusual,  but  to  keep  up  all  bands  for  sucb 
work,  and  tbat  too  wben  we  were  short  of  provisions, 
was  too  bad.  We  remonstrated,  but  to  no  purpose.  The 
captain  merely  asked  if  we  refused  to  obey  orders.  By 
rashly  doing  so,  we  should  have  forfeited  our  wages, 
which  would  have  pleased  him  but  too  well,  and  benefit- 
ted us  naught,  as  we  should  have  had  to  work  the  vessel 
into  port,  at  any  rate.  So  we  submitted.  But  by  way 
of  satisfaction  for  this  outrage  on  our  privileges,  we  used 
to  throw  overboard  every  night  the  product  of  our  day's 
labor,  and  the  mate  would  sapiently  "  wonder "  what 
had  become  of  all  the  sinnet. 

Shortly  after  we  left  Buen  Ayre,  our  supply  of  cofiee 
was  consumed,  and  thenceforth  we  were  compelled  to 
drink  an  infusion  of  burnt  beans.  Compelled  to  drink 
this,  because  the  water  we  obtained  at  the  salt-works 
was  so  brackish  that  it  was  impossible  to  swallow  it, 
without  it  having  been  previously  cooked.  The  stomach 
even  of  a  sailor  would  not  retain  it ;  and  several  times, 
when  we  had  grown  thirsty  at  some  hard  work,  and  were 
tempted  to  lave  our  thirst  from  the  water  cask,  all  hands 
were  made  sick,  having  to  vomit  up  the  miserable  stuff. 

Thus,  with  salt  water,  moldy  biscuit,  a  small  portion 
of  rice,  and  beef,  we  lingered  out  a  long  passage  of  thirty 
days.  And  before  we  reached  port,  even  this  wretched 
food  grew  very  scarce,  and  our  allowance  of  bread  was 
reduced.  We  could  not  do  aught  to  extricate  ourselves 
from  our  difficulties.  To  have  forced  the  captain  to  run 
into  a  port  by  the  way,  would  have  been  rank  mutiny. 
To  refuse  duty  would  not  have  bettered  matters.     We 


THE    MERCHANT    VESSEL.  287 

were  therefore  compelled  to  suffer.  But  we  determined 
that  if  there  was  a  law  on  our  side,  we  would  test  it 
when  we  got  to  New  Orleans. 

Sailors  dislike  to  go  to  law.  They  have  a  dread  of 
"  land-sharks,"  and  will  suffer  almost  anything  rather 
than  place  themselves  in  their  hands.  But  we  thought 
it  a  duty  to  show  this  man,  and  others  of  his  kind,  that 
they  could  be  held  up  to  justice,  and  therefore  determined 
to  risk  all  the  unknown  dangers  of  a  court-room,  to  teach 
him  a  lesson. 

Arrived  at  New  Orleans,  we  sought  out  a  lawyer  of 
some  eminence  in  cases  of  this  kind,  who  took  the 
matter  in  hand  for  us.  His  conditions  were,  the  pay- 
ment of  a  fee  of  ten  dollars,  in  hand,  from  each  man, 
and  half  the  proceeds  of  the  suit.  We  were  detained  in 
the  city  for  six  long  weeks,  by  various  pretexts  of  the 
captain's  counsel.  In  this  time  the  wages  of  our  voyage 
were  spent,  and  my  shipmates  were  all  in  debt  to  the 
full  amount  of  their  advance-money,  and  all  that  they 
could  hope  to  obtain  from  the  suit.  Finally  this  was 
decided.  The  captain  was  found  guilty  of  gross  mis- 
conduct, and  sentenced  to  pay  fifty  dollars  to  each  of  the 
crew,  and  the  expenses  of  the  suit.  This,  to  so  niggardly 
a  man  as  he,  was  a  severe  blow,  and  in  so  far  was  satis- 
factory to  us,  who  desired  to  see  him  punished.  But  we 
too  were  sufferers  by  the  suit.  We  had  been  compelled 
to  remain  six  weeks  idle.  In  this  time,  the  best  season 
for  shipping  in  New  Orleans  had  passed  away ;  we  had 
been  forced  to  spend  more  than  the  proceeds  of  the  voy- 
age, to  keep  us  ashore,  and  had  now  some  difficulty  in 


V09  THE     MERCHANT    VESSEL. 

getting  a  ship.  All  to  satisfy  justice.  I  will  not  set 
down  here  the  many  disrespectful  remarks  of  my  ship- 
mates, concerning  the  blind  Dame.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that 
we  departed  from  the  court-room,  fully  determined  never 
again  to  appeal  to  her,  but  rather  to  take  the  law  into 
our  own  hands. 

The  day  after  the  termination  of  the  suit,  I  shipped 
on  board  a  New  York  packet,  and  in  a  very  quiet  passage 
of  twenty  days  reached  New  York.  Here  I  took  my 
chest  and  hammock  to  the  Sailors'  Home,  sent  to  Boston 
for  a  little  money  I  had  still  on  deposit  there,  got  myself 
a  new  fit  out,  and  after  staying  ashore  until  tired  of  an 
inactive  life,  began  my  search  for  a  voyage.  This  search, 
in  which,  having  yet  a  considerable  sum  of  money  in 
my  purse,  I  was  rather  hard  to  please,  ended  in  an  en- 
gagement on  board  a  New  Bedford  whaleship.  At  this 
period,  therefore,  legitimately  closes  my  experience  of  a 
merchant  seaman's  life. 


41'. 


13    8-08 


